


Broken Homes

by Lawgirlalways



Category: Nikita (TV 2010)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Family, Gen, Humor, Multi, Romance, Spies & Secret Agents, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 67,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25675627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawgirlalways/pseuds/Lawgirlalways
Summary: An AU story. Team Nikita is on the run from Amanda, the Dirty Thirty, and The Shop. It's up to their adult children to save the world.
Relationships: Michael Bishop/Nikita Mears, Sean Pierce/Alexandra Udinov, Seymour Birkhoff/ Sonya (Nikita 2010)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 14





	1. Prologue

“Jamie, can you hold my hair back?” Despite her team fuming at her, Pj Mears-Bishop flashed an innocent smile that sparkled her deep green eyes. James Pierce was powerless to resist her. He did as she asked (with a slight roll of his hazel eyes), gently taking hold of her dark hair. She threw a wink at her team, which only infuriated them more, before sticking her fingers down her throat. 

“Oh okay. We’re doing this now,” Kara Pierce covered her piercing blue eyes, her long blonde hair aiding in covering her sight. Pj ignored her as she forcibly vomited into the trash. The electronic chip she had swallowed came up with the bile, clanking in the can. Although he turned away at the vomit, James continued to hold her hair and even rubbed her back a little as she heaved. The others were glaring in disgust and anger.

Pj was very good at pretending none of them were there. She wiped her fingers and her mouth on her tee shirt, then whipped off the stained fabric to reveal bruised bronze skin. She was able to toss the tee without a glance into Max Ovechkin’s face. He caught it skillfully, fed up with his sister’s bullshit, “Do I even need to get into it?”

“I don’t know Maxi-Pad. That’s up to you,” Shrugging, Pj reached into the trash can. She pulled out the chip, delicately pinched between two fingers, “Now if you’ll excuse me. I need to clean this before I give it to Nerdette.”

“Thank you,” Felicity Birkhoff chimed in from her hacker station. She pushed her glasses back on her tanned nose, after having taken them off so she wouldn’t see the vomit. She hadn’t been out in the field with the others. Her role as the superior tech expert kept her safely inside the safehouse, while the team was out kicking ass. Because of that, she wasn’t quite sure what made them so angry at Pj. Felicity had only heard snippets over the coms. Pj swallowed the evidence to keep it safe. As far as the hacker was concerned, she hadn’t necessarily done anything wrong.

Pj smiled adoringly at Felicity. Rapidly, she turned to Max with a pointed glare. He huffed and rolled his eyes. Kara, who had recovered from her shock over Pj’s action, stopped her from leaving the room, “Seriously, Pj. We have to talk about this.”

“Why? We got what we needed. We saved the day. And we’re not an actual unit, so there’s no need to debrief,” Her movements to leave Kara’s hold were quick and effortless. It was a brief showcase of what she could do out in the field. Pj was, in a word, dangerous. She was lightning fast in both action and thought. She could strategize with the best of them, as well as improvise. Her stint with the electronic chip was a stroke of genius, which not only saved the op but also the team. It wasn’t a rare occurrence for Pj. However, the other events of the mission were completely off book and unprecedented. No one was happy with it, except for maybe her.

Oliver Pierce was losing his patience. Unlike his sister, he wasn’t going to play nice. His dark blue eyes alight with irritation, he marched over to Pj and grabbed her roughly by the arm, “Will you stop it for one damn second.”

James stepped towards his brother, slightly afraid of what Pj would do in retaliation. Instead of fighting him off like she had Kara, she slammed the puke covered chip into his chest and cleaned her fingers on his shirt, “Okay. You can clean it Ollie.”

He cursed as he let her go. Pj laughed lightly, moving away from the group and towards Felicity and the computers. She’d need support for when things turned ugly, which they were about to. She was aware of how much they hated what she had done. Her team had a grossly righteous moral compass. They had to operate strictly in the gray. Yes what they did was illegal at times, but it was for the right reasons. And they never went into the black. Pj did that mission without any regrets. If they were going to complete their goal, there were some boundaries they had to push. 

Eyes turned to James. He had always been the one to get through to her in the past. Running a hand through his chestnut hair, he thought of the best words to say, “The chip idea was smart. You’re a great leader out in the field. It’s just. And no one’s blaming you. But what you did to those men…”

“Was the right course of action,” Fire burning in her green eyes, Pj interrupted. She crossed her arms tightly, regardless of the stinging bruises, and lifted her chin in haughty defiance. It was easy to forget how young she was. After what had happened ten years prior, she had to grow up fast. But it was in moments like that, that her true age shone. 

As did Felicity’s, as she studied Pj with curious and worried brown eyes and asked in a small voice, “What did you do?”

“The one thing we swore we wouldn’t,” Although his inflection was full of acid, Oliver was softer towards Felicity- like he always was.

The laugh that erupted out of Pj was drastically more bitter than her previous one. It frightened her team, “So when Kara shoots someone it’s okay.”

“It was to save my life,” Max neared his stubborn sister. Holding securely to his hand, Kara pulled him back. She shook her head slightly. Maybe they just needed to let Pj rant it out for a second. She’d calm down and then they could talk some sense into her. Hesitantly, Max relented. Kara was usually right about those sorts of things.

“Alright. I’ll give you that. And I’ll give you that no one yelled at me when I stabbed the… the man who touched me,” Pj fell silent at the memory. They all did. The team had seen some dark things on their missions. Neither their bodies, not their minds had ever really come out without scarring. She pushed forward with her point, straightening her shoulders, “But when I kill a bunch of Shop goons, who would love to see the world burn, suddenly I’m the bad guy.”

“You’re not the bad guy, Piper,” Despite Oliver nodding in agreement to Pj’s statement, James was gentle. She eased at his words, relaxing as he approached her.

Max, however, had to dig it in. Maybe it was a brother thing, or an oldest thing. Either way, he snapped, “But is it really what our parents would’ve done?”

Kara was the first to react. She let go of Max’s hand, giving him one of her best glares. Felicity gasped, and backed her chair safely away from Pj. Oliver clamped his mouth shut, knowing he couldn’t say anything worse than that. And James laid soothing hands on Pj while attempting to keep her still. She ignored all of them; her sights were on her brother. Just like lightning, her furious fist connected with his jaw and he collapsed. No one went to help him.

“They would’ve done it without a second thought. But it doesn’t even matter. They’re not fucking here!” She was right. Their parents weren’t there. They had no idea where they were. As far as the group was concerned, their parents were long gone and never coming back. 

Twenty-three years before then, the Dirty Thirty New Division had been chasing teamed up with the Shop. The two evil forces raided the black ops unit, destroying them and forcing them to scatter. Their parents hid out together, working in the shadows to save the world. However, things went south fast about ten years prior to the kids’ current situation. The parents scattered, leaving their children behind with Ryan Fletcher and Owen Elliot to keep them safe.

The Pierce triplets were thirteen at the time. Felicity was twelve. And Pj was nine. Ryan helped raise them, teaching them how to make the world a better place. Owen, on the other hand, taught them to fight and to survive. Max had been in hiding with his mother during all of that drama, but when he turned eighteen she told him everything about his parents' slice of the spy life. She went to help his father, hoping he would take her words as caution and stay out of it. Instead, he ran off to help them save the world.

When the kids all became adults (more or less), Ryan and Owen’s presence in their lives lessened. The men were still around to assist them, but they had gone off on their own missions more frequently. The group of the then twenty-somethings, and one teenager, decided they weren’t going to continue shying away from the fight. They were going to end it once and for all; they were going to bring their families back together.

That was two years ago. Two years of fighting and missions that were getting them nowhere. Frustration was high, and patience was wearing thin. The electronic chip they had recovered was their first solid lead in taking down the big bads in months. The team should have been celebrating, instead they were arguing. Pj stood over Max for a moment, her breath coming in angry huffs. She made up her mind over the situation suddenly, and stepped on his stomach as she stormed off.

“Pj. Please. We really should talk,” Kara called gently after her. 

Pj turned to face her team. Max was getting to his feet, seemingly apologetic for his harsh words to his sister. Felicity had gotten out of her chair, and took openminded steps towards her. Oliver finally softened his gaze, a slight smile on his full lips. And James’ hazel eyes held onto her green, wishing she would simply hear them out. Pj scoffed at all of them, while she went out the door, “Talk amongst yourselves. I’m done.”

Possibly going rogue from her team, she did what any Mears-Bishop did best. It was going to be a whole other mission to get her back.


	2. Chapter 1

_ Three Months Later _

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” A light voice warned the woman at the bar. She turned, spotting a young woman dressed in loose sweats; she must’ve been one of the fighters. It wasn’t difficult to notice the fighters intermingling with the crowd. Patrons were dressed in their finest- gowns, and jewelry, and flashes of wealth. Fighters were in whatever allowed them to fight their best. There were also bruises and blood speckling their skin. The young woman’s bronze skin was free of any contusions however. It probably meant she hadn’t fought yet. But judging by that smirk pulling at her full lips, she was just too good to get hit.

“And why shouldn’t I drink it?” The woman regarded both her alcoholic drink and the young fighter warily. Despite the opulence of the illegal fighting ring, one had to keep their guard up. The seedy underground was close at hand, who knew what could happen. Instead of answering directly, the young woman leaned against the bar and nodded towards a man at the other end. He was eyeing the crowd with a predatory glint in his dark gaze. The woman swirled the drink she had taken her eyes off of for a moment, regarding it seriously. She decided to take the fighter’s word for it, and signaled the bartender.

“You have a good eye,” After making a new drink, not accepting payment for it, and watching the woman appreciatively walk away, the bartender praised the fighter. She shrugged it off as though it were nothing; anyone would’ve done the same. The bartender still gave her a complimentary drink, at least to refresh between fights. She had been working for the ring as long as the fighter had been. She had noticed her undefeated greatness. She was amazing and beautiful. It was impossible not to be enthralled by her. 

“Usually people say I have beautiful eyes,” The young woman’s green eyes sparkled and winked. The bartender couldn’t stop the blush that crept along her cheeks. That seemed to stir the fighter on. She leaned closer across the bar, smiling disarmingly. She was aware of how beautiful she was. Her body was statuesque and athletic. Her dark hair was long and dyed red at the end. Her green eyes were bright and intelligent. And her skin was bronzed and near-flawless. She knew she drew attention when she walked in the room. Sometimes, it was unwanted attention, but she could always handle herself. She proved that time and time again in the ring.

“Yeah, I noticed. I, uh, notice a lot of things,” Covering for her blunder, the bartender focused on cleaning some glasses. However, the young woman’s joyous laughter brought her eyes hopelessly back up. There was something about her confidence and charisma that trapped her in her spell. She wouldn’t even be able to break it if she wanted to.

“What kinda things do you notice?” It wasn’t clear if the fighter was intentionally flirting or not, but she did grin and shoot back her drink with plenty of charm. The bartender wanted to share her soul with her smile. She abandoned her work, leaning close to the young woman. Some of the things she was going to share weren’t for all to hear. It probably wasn’t for the fighter to hear, but the bartender was going to spill her guts regardless.

“I noticed you’ve never lost a fight. I noticed fighters can bet on themselves along with the patrons, making you a very rich woman. And I noticed where the money goes and who picks it up. The locked door in the back by the kitchen, and a group of men with impressive guns every Sunday morning,” Everyone could bet on the fighting, from the bar/kitchen workers and fighters to the patrons. The fighting ring raked in a lot of money with their combined food/drink sales, and betting. Once a week, imposing men came to collect whatever share of the profit was theirs. The bartender shouldn’t have noticed that much information, nor should she have shared it. But she didn’t care, not when the young woman was smiling at her like that.

Before the fighter could voice a reply, she was being called away for her turn to fight. She parted with a bright grin and the removal of her sweats, revealing barely there shorts and a sports bra. The bartender stared after her lightly tattooed lithe body as she sauntered off. Her attention was only drawn away when an impatient patron snapped for it. By turning away, she missed the young woman’s satisfied laugh. She had gotten everything she wanted, and all she had to do was smile. If anyone had seen her, they’d have been proud.

Although she prepared her hair and fists for her fight, Pj Mears-Bishop could not stop beaming. Three months previously, she had printed all the relevant information from the electronic chip they had stolen. That way, as she went rogue from her team, she didn’t have an electronic trail. What she was doing was dangerous, she didn’t want the rest of them to follow. She might have been angry with them, but she didn’t want them dead. She also didn’t want their “we don’t kill if we don’t have to” moral code to follow her as well. Against the Shop, they had to do what they must. It was how they were going to get their family back together.

Thanks to intense training from Owen, and maybe just natural talent, Pj dominated in every fighting match. Her wins and betting granted her the money to continue her missions. There was plenty of intel from the chip against the Shop. So far, Pj was able to infiltrate a handful of Shop shell corps. She stole money, resources, and more intel from each group. Her missions led her to the illegal fighting ring a couple of weeks ago. Although Pj had made connections, she hadn’t gotten anywhere with the Shop. Until that night. The bartender told her where the information was hiding and when they came to collect. Fortunately, it was Saturday night. All of that intel would be updated and complete before the morning pickup.

Pj just had to get through her fights and the rest of the night before she could put any plan into place. The ring had begun to pit her against bigger and tougher opponents. Her wins weren’t coming as easily anymore. She had to employ some of the strategizing Ryan had taught her to come out on top. Honestly, if it weren’t for those intense sparring sessions with her team, there would’ve been no way she would’ve remained undefeated. Pj was grateful she had such a badass team in terms of fighting, Since she had learned to beat them, she could beat anyone. She just had to be smart and improvise frequently. Because of that, fighting didn’t leave much room for thinking about other things. 

Finally, the fight ended and Pj was able to collect her winnings. She hung around the ring, scoping things out and attempting to formulate a plan. Winning the remainder of her fights didn’t help her in having anything solid, just sore muscles. The door leading to the Shop room was not only locked but also soundproof. She couldn’t hear anything on the other side. The kitchen was too loud to be able to hear anything in another room as well. When Pj broke in, she’d be going in blind. She had her knife and wits at least. That should’ve counted for something. She needed to be in that room. She couldn’t wait another week. She didn’t care how she did it, she just had to get the intel. The sooner she had the information, the sooner the Shop would be destroyed. And the sooner her family could be together again.

As the manager of the illegal fighting ring ushered everybody out at the end of the night and began to put the money in the Shop room, Pj hid behind the bar. She knew from previous nights that he never checked back there; he was a recovering alcoholic and didn’t want anywhere near the stuff. It took the manager over an hour to clear that room. He was probably updating all of the intel. Pj had never been a patient person, but she forced herself to be in that moment. She had to wait. It was too important to rush. Everything hinged on getting information. While she eventually crept towards the door, the darkness that had fallen across the ring allowed her to go undetected by anyone that happened to be watching.

The darkness also allowed the manager to hide his injuries, shock, and fear. And it covered a shadow following Pj.

Her sweats back on, her hood covering her face, Pj reached into her duffel bag slung tight across her shoulder. She usually kept her wrappings, clothes, and cash in there. But hidden underneath the usual fighter gear was her combat knife and her EMP device. Felicity had made a portable EMP that could target and take out alarm systems. Pj swiped it before she left; she kinda felt guilty for that, but it had come in handy a lot. She turned it on and began working on the lock. The lock was tricky, yet against her knife it was nothing. Soon, she cracked the door open and carefully checked the area. No one was in sight or in earshot. She opened the door wider and saw that the room was absolutely trashed. 

Cameras covered every surface, but they were smashed to pieces. The lights were on, but they were hanging from their wires. The computers buzzed, but error screens showed that they were wiped clean. Filing cabinets and tables scattered the room, but they were shoved to the floor and emptied. And guards had their weapons drawn, but they were laying bloody and lifeless. The room was ransacked. Someone beat Pj to it. Frustration hit her first, then desperation. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.

However, she wasn’t given long to mull it over. There were footsteps approaching from behind her. Pj tightened her grip on her knife and whirled around. She pressed the blade against her possible assailant’s neck, drawing in close. She felt a pistol shoved between her ribs in return. It took a second for the fog of adrenaline to clear from her gaze. Once it did her face broke out into a much more real and dazzling smile than the ones she ever showed the bartender. She recognized the distractingly tall, muscular, chestnut haired, hazel eyed, young man before her. She’d always recognize him, “Jamie!”


	3. Chapter 2

“Pj?” James Pierce had to reach up and remove her hood to see her clearly. She beamed at him, absolutely ecstatic that he was there. However, he was confused. He honestly wasn’t expecting to run into her. The illegal fighting ring was a desperate attempt to get any sort of lead on her; he simply stalked the shadow he saw into the destroyed room of bodies. Honestly, that was the most confusing part. Neither of them had the time to do that. Someone else had attacked the Shop. No information about that had popped up in the past three months. If it had, the team had been too scattered to notice. Between following intel on that chip and chasing after Pj, they were worn thin. James eventually decided to find her on his own. If she were to run into him (or Felicity), she’d might’ve been more willing to come back. But he wasn’t expecting to find her so soon. Or even find her at that place at all.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Somehow, Pj pulled him closer to her. Despite the tease, their weapons were still trained on one another; her knife dug into his neck and his gun burrowed into her ribs. Maybe it was some perverse game of chicken, neither wanting to pull away first. Or maybe the three months changed how they felt about and trusted one another. 

“Seriously? I’ve been looking for you to bring you home,” Anger and frustration bit at James’ voice. He hadn’t really sat and processed his hurt over Pj leaving. What she had done was reckless, dangerous, and selfish. They could’ve talked it out, moved on. Instead, she had to go rogue. They already lost their parents, they shouldn’t have lost each other too. He wouldn’t have been able to bear it if that ever came true.

“I think I’m good,” Why did she have to be so goddamn stubborn. James tried to curb his temper, releasing the pressure of his gun in her side. Pj took his pulling away to her advantage. Fast as lightning, she removed her knife, grabbed his gun, unloaded it, and threw it across the room. Her green eyes glittered with daring- try her. He just might. However she smirked, returning her knife to his neck, “I do like that shaggy hair and five o’clock shadow you’re sporting. Doesn’t make you look as stuck up.”

James hadn’t had the time to take care of his grooming while following her (though, he kind of liked his appearance; he did appear more carefree, and he didn’t look so similar to Oliver). The team had always been one step behind Pj. They planned a mission around the information they gathered from the electronic chip, rolled out in their usual smart and steady way, then discovered somebody had already been there and taken the resources and new intel. Max was the first to insist that it was Pj; who else rushed into things scheming as she went. About a month previously, James gave up on attempting to do two things at once. He told the others he would chase her while they worked with the intel. One person could move faster and get around easier. He had managed to gain access to the fighting ring without problem, after all.

“Your dye job’s alright,” James deflected. Pj’s dark hair was a lot more fitting with the fiery red color at the ends. He really liked how it suited her. However, he was aiming to match her attitude. He was willing to let his bitterness wash over him while she played the serious situation off. It at least distracted her a tad. He was able to finally flip the knife from her grasp, the weapon scattering to the ground.

“I also got some new tattoos. Wanna see?” Not allowing her loss of weapon to affect her, Pj stated. James couldn’t stop his hazel eyes from raking over her. He shouldn’t have. Her sweats covered her completely, and she was only sharing that fact to distract him. She knew the effect she had on him. He really shouldn’t have let her get under his skin. But he couldn’t help it. She had him trapped by her spell. Utilizing his distraction, Pj rapidly removed her duffel across her shoulder. The strap wrapped around James’ arm and yanked it behind his back painfully. Her voice husked warmly into his ear, “Maybe later I’ll let you take a peak.”

“You, uh… wanna… um… dead bodies…” James was relieved Pj wasn’t able to see the deep blush creeping up his cheeks. He needed to focus on the situation and the room, though he couldn’t form a complete thought. Not the fact that she was so close to him he could feel her breath heating his skin. The pain in his arm was almost nonexistent with the feel of her against him. If he didn’t shake whatever that was off, he’d be in trouble.

“Not like we killed ‘em. Someone beat us to the room,” Pj’s tone dripped with frustration and disdain. James understood what it felt like being a step behind and losing intel. That was what he had been dealing with concerning her. Eventually, he broke the hold of the duffel strap. The bag may have dropped, but she didn’t hesitate to strike. He blocked her easily. Judging by her satisfied grin, that was what she wanted. They began to spar, and she began to ask, “How’d you find me anyway?”

“Kept stumbling behind you. So I decided to do some old school spying. Got a tip about a fighting ring that sounded like a Shop shell. Showed up, and saw someone heading to a back room. Figured I’d follow,” James gave a quick run down as he hit and blocked. It was easier to think when she wasn’t so near. Pj was able to avoid most of his moves effortlessly; she probably picked up some things while rogue. It was a cruel reminder of just how reckless she was. And he couldn’t do anything about it.

“So you planned as you went. Sound just like me,” Pj was too smug about it. James informed her that she wasn’t completely right. He planned ahead and improvised. He employed the best of both. She just rolled her eyes and said she had done the same- they were alike. For some reason, James’ heart leapt. They were different, however they had the same drive and passion. Knowing that excited him. He wasn’t quite sure why, though.

“Whatever. How’d you even gain access to the room?” James was starting to match her hits. Pj must’ve been tired; she looked as though she had been one of the fighters he’d seen. Her energy was winding down. Or her injuries were catching up to her. James didn’t go easy. The two weren’t simply sparring. They were fighting to know who was on top- who was right. Pj had a stronger fire behind her. She was too stubborn to let things go. She was going to bring their parents home no matter what. He wanted their family back together as well. But he wanted everyone alive when that happened.

“Luck and charm, Jamie boy,” Pj danced away from him to recover for a moment. Her strategy was surprisingly successful, but mostly because she made James chuckle. She had the world wrapped around her finger, that was for sure. He knew it, and so did she. Everyone fell for her wit and smile. Owen said it was because she was young and full of lively spunk. Ryan argued that it was the “Nikita gene". The Mears women knew how to get people to love them. It was a superpower James found himself adoring.

“You getting tired, Piper Jade?” James teased when Pj struggled out of the hold he soon put her in. He might’ve actually won. However, she flashed him that smirk that pulled at her full lips and sparkled her green eyes. It was going to be a long battle before she’d admit defeat. He’d have to prove himself. Fortunately, he was willing to do just that.

“Please. I can do this with one arm behind my back,” Flinging her right arm behind her, Pj motioned for him to proceed. Although he rolled his hazel eyes, he smiled. God had he missed her. She always got him to laugh and grin with her crazy antics and sarcasm. She really was a force of nature that could lighten any situation, including that one. James wasn’t as angry as he was before. He was simply glad to be with Pj again, laughing and talking. Being around her always made him happy. He wasn’t sure what it was exactly. He guessed that it was simply her. Her intelligence, her bravery, her fierceness, and her humor, it all drew him to her. He couldn’t stop that if he tried. The room fell away while they fought; it was just the two of them.

Pj was holding out strong against James. With only one arm, she was continuing to give him a run for his money. He’d have to be smarter and tougher to take her down. He eventually got her trapped up against the wall with nowhere to go. His own smug grin etched its way across his features when she couldn’t break free, “Wanna even the odds?”

“Sure,” Pj kicked at James’ knees and they crashed to the ground. Landing on top of him, she was able to successfully pin him. But he wasn’t looking for a way to escape. Once again, the feel of her so close to him short circuited his brain. All he could do was stare at her, his lips parted as he caught his breath. However, it was becoming even harder to breathe. Their bodies were heated and loose from sparing, and he could feel nearly every inch of her. His mind was blank. He stared hopelessly into her beautiful green eyes, trying to even remember his own name. James was helpless. If he just lifted his neck, their lips would touch. And for some reason that was all he ever wanted to do. 

The two shouldn’t have been doing that. They were hanging around a Shop shell, wrestling in the wreckage of someone else’s raid; there were dead bodies on the ground for God’s sake. They were going to get caught and killed. But the two couldn’t help it. They were just so lost in one another. How could anything be wrong when they were right there, together. Pj’s long hair fell over them, encasing them in their own bubble. Neither moved from their position. If anything, she dropped her body even closer to his.

Caught up in each other, James and Pj didn’t notice the door reopening. They didn’t hear the footsteps, or the cocking of the gun. But the two did hear the booming, commanding voice that rattled them to the core, “I knew you’d come back for more, Nikita.”


	4. Chapter 3

In what could only be described as a Pavlovian response, Pj rapidly grabbed her knife that they luckily landed next to, leapt to her feet, and threw the weapon at the intruder. Her brain was shut off, she purely acted- how else was she to react to hearing her mother’s name from a gunman. Despite not being a throwing knife, the blade still struck the intruder in the shoulder. He shouted in pain, collapsing to his knees; his gun scattered to the ground. Both Pj and James were on their feet, searching for any sign of Nikita. They scanned the entire room, but she was nowhere in sight. Furiously, Pj realized the intruder mistook her for her mother. She picked up the discarded gun as she approached him. Venom laced her voice and gaze. All of those complicated butterfly feelings she felt with James was replaced with rage. That man- who she slowly realized was the manager- was going to feel her wrath, “Where is she? Where’s Nikita?”

The manager said nothing. He was injured from another fight (probably the raid that killed the guards), and came to the shocking conclusion that Pj was not Nikita. He pressed his lips together in an attempt to muffle his groans of pain. Pj ripped her knife from his shoulder and swiped it along his chest. The gash was deep, he screamed again. Pj didn’t care. She demanded he answer her. When he didn’t, she shot at his groin. James had kept his distance from the manger as he attempted to size him up. However, when Pj began to torture him, he stepped forward. He wanted info on their parents as well, but he didn’t want her crossing a line she could never come back from. Calling her by her mission codename (the ones they used to hide their identities while out in the field), he hoped to settle her, “Firecracker.”

It was of no use. The manager was talking through groans and pants. Pj was hooked on every word. She needed to know why he would say “back”; had her mother been there, was she still around. Pj was desperate. The manager’s slow speech was driving her insane, “She was here. She was looking for information. That bitch Udinov was with her. Who do you think killed my guys?”

At the mention of his mother, James quit trying to stop Pj. He was serious about whatever it took, and her determination was palpable. It was as though a switch was flipped in her mind. A real, tangible lead came up about their parents- about Alex and Nikita. She’d do anything to extract the information. Torturing the manager was going to be nothing. She’d have to raise her ante if she wanted him to share more, however. So, Pj stomped on his injured groin, seething over his shriek, “What the fuck happened?”

“They… they found the back way in and destroyed the place. They wanted our black book but they couldn’t find it. When I called it in, they bolted,” The manager was barely able to nod towards Alex and Nikita’s entrance and exit. It was a slightly hidden air grate in the corner of the large room. James went to check it out, picking up one of the guard’s guns on the way; he wasn’t sure what he was going to find.

“How long till the Shop gets here?” Pj glanced at the door, before menacingly crouching closer to the manager. She needed to know the time frame she was working with. She could get enough information with enough time. The manager appeared to talk whenever intense pain was inflicted. As long as Pj didn’t push too hard, she would be golden. It felt great to finally get what she wanted.

“You mean the group? Ten minutes,” He gave that info for free. Maybe he hoped it would scare James and Pj. They tried not to react. James studied the back way to the room, while Pj applied pressure to the manager’s wounds. He squirmed beneath her, but he wasn’t going to give her more. Without hesitation or even blinking, she shot him in the leg and in the already wounded shoulder. She didn’t want to pause to think or contemplate. The only way to get her through was to simply act.

“Where do you think the women went? Where’s your black book?” If that was what they were calling what they were keeping their intel in, she’d just have to roll with it. The information ranged from being logged in ledgers and highly encrypted electronic chips (thankfully, Felicity had developed a way around the encryption and excitedly showed Pj how it worked). So calling it one name might’ve been simpler. Pj knew she was grasping at straws regarding her first question, however. There was an incredibly slim chance he’d know where her mother could’ve gone. Yet she had to try.

She was so close. Pj tried so hard not to think about that. Her mother had been so close she could’ve touched her. If she had stormed the room right after the manager, she would’ve seen her mother. There would’ve been a hail of bullets, but it would’ve been worth it to see her smiling at her again. Pj could’ve ran into her mom’s outstretched arms, hugged her as tightly as she could, and brought her home. No. She couldn’t afford to think about that. Not then. The what ifs couldn’t drag her down. She had to focus on destroying the Shop. Then everyone could come home safe and sound.

“I don’t know where they are. And if I tell you about the black book. They’ll kill me,” The manager eventually choked out through groans. Pj glared. Death was the least of his troubles at the moment. He had Pj and James to face against. She lashed out, breaking his nose with the gun. His screams hardly covered the sound of people swarming the illegal fighting ring. Pj and James did not have that ten minutes. They had to go. James gathered their things and anything that could lead to them, shoving it in Pj’s duffel and slinging it over his shoulder. He tried to make Pj escape with him, but she was rooted in her spot. She needed that black book.

“I’ll make your death painless. No more torture. No more threats,” Pj leveled the gun at the manager’s head. It was a gamble. Fortunately, he took it. He indicated to his pants. Puzzled, James reached in his pocket; he was relieved when he pulled out an electronic chip. The manager must’ve taken the intel with him after encountering Alex and Nikita. Pj upheld her end of the bargain, and shot him. The lights faded from his eyes in an instant. Before the Shop goons could reach the room, James and Pj scrambled out the air grate securing it behind them.

They managed to stay quiet, but James found the space difficult to maneuver in with his large frame. Pj helped him as best she could, taking back her duffel (her knife and new gun were placed inside). They soon exited into a narrow alleyway surrounded by buildings. James started to sprint towards the only opening that led to an empty city sidewalk. Pj stopped him abruptly by tugging on his hand. She ignored the spark at the touch, “Come on. I have a safehouse across town.”

“I have a motorcycle,” James argued, but didn’t let go of her hand. He followed her to the deadend of the alley, a high chain link fence blocking their way. She climbed skillfully. Once she reached the top, she jumped on top of a dumpster then back to the ground. Sighing, James chased after her making certain he did exactly as she did. Pj took his hand in hers again when he stood next to her. She pulled him along.

“So do I. But they’re gonna be monitoring vehicles coming and going. It’s better on foot for a couple of blocks. Then we can hop the subway,” Pj was careful as she continued her trek back to the abandoned building she had taken over for her safehouse. James didn’t disagree with her decision. He squeezed her hand tightly, and helped her ensure they weren’t being followed. Feeling his warm skin against hers was comforting. It grounded her to the moment. Her mind settled and she could focus. He had always had that effect on her, but then it was stronger.

“Before we talk about what happened. And I mean everything that happened. I just wanna say. You were right,” James muttered as they neared a subway entrance. They seriously needed to discuss the past three months and what had occurred in that room. Pj knew it was going to be difficult, yet it was a necessity. A lot happened- a lot of things she was still trying to process, like torture and the lead on her mom. But she could cross that bridge when they came to it. Instead, she grinned at the fact that he had begun to see her point.

“I know. But you were right too,” After sneaking into the subway and hopping the turnstile, Pj admitted. Having someone at her back caused her to be more secure in the field and less frantic. She felt strangely safe. He grinned back at her, his hazel eyes brightening. There was still so much they needed to say and do. But in that moment, they were perfect- or at least as close to perfect as they could get. They held hands and smiled, waiting for the train to take them across town. It was a second of stillness, of almost calm. Maybe things weren’t as terrible as they appeared.

“So. Tell me about your safehouse. Does it have a shower?” Gently swinging their clasped hands back and forth, James asked. Pj chuckled, lightness returning to her mood. She had been drowned in rage facing the manager and learning she had missed her mom by a few minutes. Being back with her friend, however, was bringing her back above water. She could breathe, she could smile, and she could be her lively self once more. 

“It does. It’s a little crappy though ‘cause the building’s been abandoned for like twenty-five years after a pretty bad explosion. Honestly, the best part about the place is the windows. They overlook the entirety of New York. There’s also some cool hideaway places that went undiscovered by construction crews. I found a gun with nail polish on the handle and a burned up rubber pig mask. I think criminals used to use it as a staging ground,” Thrilled to talk with someone so openly again, Pj spilled everything she had thought about her safehouse. James listened with rapt attention, smiling the entire time.


	5. Chapter 4

The entire way to the safehouse, Pj and James talked. It wasn’t their serious conversation- only light stories from their time apart- but it was fun. For the moment, they were two young adults without a thought or care in the world. It was almost as though they were normal for once. Both agreed to focus on talking for the night, and go over all their intel in the morning with a refreshed mind. It was better to laugh at their antics than contemplate the implications of what they had discovered. Besides, hearing how Pj had escaped near capture using a stink bomb and how James, Oliver, and Kara used their likeness to confuse a guard was much more entertaining. 

When they neared the abandoned building she had occupied, Pj shushed James. The outside wasn’t as secure, so they needed to be cautious upon approach. Despite not being completely restored after the fire, the loft was impressive. Pj definitely was right about the windows. Climbing the stairs to the floor she had taken over (the one that was fully rebuilt and ready for someone to live in), they passed litter left over by former squatters. James thought it was something he could simply kick around, yet Pj abruptly stopped him. She studied the trash carefully, examining every piece. Before he could question her on it, she pressed her finger against his full lips and whispered in his ear, “Someone was here.”

Pj used the debris around the building as a lowtech alarm system. The scrape of the items across the floor and how they were arranged tipped her off to any intruder. It was always someone trying to stay someplace warm for the night, however she still had to be cautious. She showed James how to dance around the litter, rushing up the stairs. Her knife and his gun were drawn from the duffel bag. They silently signaled their plan on entering the room to each other, and nodded in agreement. The two burst down the door to her floor. The only thing waiting for them was a barking pitbull though.

“Missy,” With a whistle, Pj commanded the dog. Missy quieted her barks and rushed to her owner, picking up a scrap of leather along the way. Whereas James was cautious about the large pitbull, Pj scratched her lovingly. Once she noticed the cloth in her mouth, she paused. Missy was trained to guard the safehouse while Pj was gone; that included barking, chasing, and biting anyone who entered her area. Most squatters stuck to the lower floors of the building, so the leather was concerning. Once again, Pj whispered, “That someone came upstairs.”

James pulled out a phone from his pocket. He silently indicated that he could sweep the building for bugs with the device. Pj nodded, and he took off. She searched the room for anything out of place, focusing on where she hid her information and gear. The hideaway panels hadn’t been touched. All of her important things were in place and undisturbed. She breathed a bit easier at the fact. Little items might have been missing near the entrance of her safehouse, but those weren’t dangerous; she could live with those gone. Her intel and resources, those were what got her through the day. James was relieved as well. He returned to her, holding up his phone and smiling, “We’re clean. Must’ve just been a homeless person.”

“Yeah I think so. They only took some food and water. And that burned up mask I found. They probably thought they could sell it or something,” Pj hid her disappointment that her favorite discovery was gone, and focused on emptying out her bag. She hated the post mission routine- she only wanted to take a shower and go to bed. But there were important things to do.

Luckily, she had James with her; she could push some stuff off on him. While Pj counted her money and stored her tech and boxing gear away, she had James take stock of and clean the weapons. He did so without complaint, “A creepy pig mask and a guard dog. Sounds like better security than our safehouse.”

“That’s because Missy is the best doggy in the whole world,” Pj whistled her dog over. Missy’s tail wagged the entire time she received pets and praise. Underneath her guard dog front, she was sweet and loyal. Pj found her on the streets, played with her, gave her food, and loved her. That was all it took for Missy to be loyal to her forever. She’d do anything her owner trained and ordered her to do. Pj didn’t take that for granted. She protected Missy as well, and made sure she was as spoiled as possible. 

“The others are gonna love her. You know Kara’s been begging Ryan for a dog since forever,” James warmed up to Missy the second he saw how sweet she was to Pj. He scratched her behind her ears, and she canted into his touch. Having a dog around their safehouse was going to be great. They could play and relax with a pet that loved them unconditionally. James was already enjoying the benefits of having Missy around. He couldn’t wait until she came home with Pj. 

“Yeah,” Turning away, Pj stashed the money in its hiding spot. She held out her hand for the electronic chip they had found, and once James gave it to her she added it to the others. She had an impressive amount of intel and resources stashed away. She had gotten far with only three months of work. However, James didn’t pay attention to that. He was confused by her sudden despondent attitude. Pj went through the motions of slipping off her shoes and removing her sweats, completely ignoring him. Her openness and liveliness disappeared. 

He fought his blush at the sight of her in only a sports bra and barely there shorts (she had gotten new tattoos). James focused on cleaning the blood off their weapons instead, clearing his throat, “You’re coming back right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course. It’s just. There’s a lot of things that aren’t working,” Pj muttered. She tossed her long hair up in a messy bun, and wrapped herself in a blanket she had lying around. Although she did intend to return to her team, she didn’t want to return to how things were. Being on her own had been good for her. She was able to clear her head, and remove herself from the influence of her family. She felt as though she had grown and came into her own during her time away. She knew who she was. She knew what she was capable of. 

Pj was also in love with the view from her loft; she didn’t think she could leave it. She stared out the large windows, lost in thought as she studied the New York city landscape. Abandoning his task, James joined her. He rested a hesitant yet comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently, “I know. You were right about playing on their level. It’s obviously gotten you a lot farther than us. But we were right too. We work better as a team.”

“I know. I know. I’m not stupid,” Resting her forehead against the glass, Pj shrugged off his hand. They had already discussed that. Her intense spy actions were going to get them what they wanted, and they’re stick together mentality was going to keep them safe. Together, those two philosophies were going to win the day. 

“Coulda fooled us,” James was only reacting to her bitterness. It was how his suppressed thoughts and feelings slipped out. He regretted the words instantly. Yet he couldn’t take them back, Pj was already pissed. 

“Oh I’m sorry. Am I talking to Jamie or Ollie?” Pj’s arms crossed tightly over herself, the blanket snug against her. Sensing her anger, Missy came trotting over to comfort her. She ignored her dog in favor of glaring at James. Sharp words were usually Max’s, Oliver’s, and Pj’s thing. James, Kara, and Felicity were much more level headed and calm. They kept their emotions in check and tried to find some peaceful solution to talk things through. Pj got under James’ skin, however. He couldn’t think straight around her. 

“You left us. Just like our parents,” There it was out in the open, how James really felt about watching his best friend leave him behind. It hurt and it stung, and it broke his heart in a way that he didn’t quite understand. He thought finding her would fix all of that. Instead, it brought three months of anguish back to the surface.

Thoughts and feelings warred inside Pj. She should’ve addressed his pain. She knew she fucked up, even if it was for the right reasons. However, she had been hurting too. There were times where she had felt brushed off and unseen by everyone around her. Maybe it was her age- she was still just nineteen. Or maybe it was because they had been raised so closely together, never having the chance to go out and become their own person. She ended up holding onto that frustration and lashed out at him, “Newsflash James. We’re already like them. Ripped from families we barely know and trapped in a never ending war!”

James softened at her anger. He understood her; he understood her pain. But it was time for her to understand where he was coming from. All they had was each other. If they lost that, they lost everything, “You know Max. And Felicity, and Kara, and Oliver…”

“And you, right? I mean, when are you gonna think about yourself and not the others? When are you ever gonna be selfish?” Snapping, Pj let the blanket fall. Missy jumped up on her leg, so she finally paid attention to her. Yet her glowering green eyes remained on James. He was always noble and righteous James. He did everything for their family, and hardly anything for himself. She wanted to see him be mindful of his own feelings for once. 

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what? State the obvious? We already reached a middle ground. So come on. Tell me how you feel, Jamie. No one else, just you,” Letting Missy drop back down to four legs, Pj neared James. She pointed an accusatory finger at him. And when she jabbed it in his chest, he took an involuntary step back. 

“I just want us all together,” He took the cowards way out and he knew it. There were things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t form them into words. He didn’t know how. She didn’t like the response. Her green eyes connected with his hazel and flared. 

“So we talk it out with the team, then we’re right back where we were. Nothing changes. I’m doing exactly what my mom was forced to do when she was my age. I was supposed to be better, to have a better life. Instead, I’m just as…” The rest of the sentence choked Pj. Owen had been the one to say it first. She had done something reckless and dangerous on a mission, and he whispered the words to Ryan as a result. Although she wasn’t meant to hear them, the words struck her to her core. 

There was darkness inside her, just like her mother. Pj attempted to excuse Owen’s statement as one of his inane musings. But after torturing the manager, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Something else had taken over her while facing that man. She didn’t care what happened to him or to anyone, as long as she had the intel she wanted; she’d set the world on fire if that meant saving her parents. Pj didn’t like those thoughts. She didn’t want to hurt innocents or destroy the world. In that room however, it was all she could think about. 

“Just as what?” Finally, James reached for her. His hands were warm and steady against her olive skin. 

“It doesn't matter. Let’s just clean up, go to bed, and go over the new intel in the morning. I have some contacts who got me into the fighting ring that can tell us more about it,” Pj couldn’t help the brush off. She just didn’t want to deal with it all. After food and rest, maybe she might’ve been able to. 

“Pipes.”

“No. We’re gonna get everyone back together. Just like you want. Nothing else,” Where that bitterness came from, she didn’t know. Pj simply walked away from James, Missy on her heels.


	6. Chapter 5

“Stupid dog,” Holding her injured arm against her chest, a woman muttered, “It tore through my jacket.”

“You’re the one who got greedy,” Another woman smirked in response. She was slightly older than the one with the injured arm, and was leading them away from an abandoned apartment building. They stuck to the shadows of the street as much as possible. 

“I got us food and water didn’t I?” The injured woman huffed. She shifted a backpack strapped to her back as emphasis. Regardless of that success, she sighed in defeat, “God. How is it we survive gunfire, only for me to get bitten by a dog?”

“I was attacked by a seagull once,” The older woman shrugged. That was simply their lot in life. One good thing often led to two bads. They were hardly ever lucky. 

“I miss that beach house,” As they ducked down into the subway, the injured woman recalled the place they had stayed where the birds were unafraid to divebomb them. It was secluded and quiet despite that. And the beach was the best place to exercise and have fun with one another. More than two decades had passed since they had lived there, but the memories were as strong as ever. 

“Really?” The older woman had had better safehouses, namely ones where she didn’t have to share a space with her entire team. While that was ideal for their missions, it was the worst for any romantic relationship that was trying to occur. 

“No. But it was simpler,” The injured woman definitely agreed on the cons of living together as a team. But their missions weren’t as weighted or severe back then. It was easier to find joy in the day to day and let the stress roll off their backs. In their present, however, everything just hurt. 

“I miss the loft. But that got blown up,” Hopping a turnstile, the older woman commented. She held out a hand to help the injured woman, yet she was waved off. Her brown eyes rolled when her friend stumbled and almost fell. 

“You did it,” With a huff, the injured woman attempted to recover from her slip. She swept her light curled hair out of her face, and stomped ahead to a train they could take. 

“You blew up the beach house,” Maybe it wasn’t as simple all those years ago if their safehouses were victims of explosions. However, the women could tease each other for that past like it was an inside joke. They nudged at each other, boarding the first subway car that was open. Fortunately, it was empty; the friends could continue their conversation without fear of being overheard. 

“At least that didn’t get taken over by people who went through our hidden stash,” It was a slim chance their old equipment was still lying around, but the women hoped that was the case. The loft had been abandoned after the explosion, so their weapons and cash hidden away could have remained undisturbed. Judging by the pitbull that guarded the floor and stopped them from moving farther than the entryway, they were unlucky once again. 

“Let’s just hope they’re being responsible with those guns and cash,” The older woman sighed. She should’ve gathered more of her things before setting the bombs, but she had been in a rush. She grabbed what she needed and bolted (after fighting with her friend and a couple of bad guys of course). She didn’t think someone would ever find and take what had been hidden. Besides, it had been twenty-five years. She shouldn’t be blamed for anything that happened in that loft from then on. 

“They kept that disgusting mask. I don’t think they are,” Indicating to her friend’s backpack, the injured woman shuttered. She hated those rubber masks when she had first seen them, and she hated them then. She figured the only way it had survived all those years was because it was cursed, “Why did you take it anyway?”

“I bought it. And they were only using it to scare people off. They have a dog for that,” The older woman defended. She wasn’t quite sure why she took back the pig mask. Maybe the injured woman was right about simpler times. Or maybe because she had some half-baked plan on using it for their next mission.

“You have the wrong priorities,” The injured woman silently indicated that they get off the train at the next stop. The older woman agreed. They weren’t certain where they were going to spend the night, but they had to keep moving. The more distance they put themselves from where they were escaping, the better. 

“We got food and water. I grabbed all their cash back at the ring. We’re good,” Checking the platform before exiting the car, the older woman listed off their wins of the night. They had broken into an illegal fighting ring, taken out the guards and security, and ran off with all of their money they were going to pass on to their bosses. Defunding them was a huge step, as was escaping before they got caught. 

“And meet up with the others with nothing,” They just didn’t gain any new intel. The manager of the place called in reinforcements, limiting their window of torture. The women couldn’t grab the one thing they went there to find. Their team was going to be glad they were alive. However, the two were frustrated and disappointed in their lack of progress. 

“We didn’t get a black book, but our lead was solid. We know we can continue following that thread,” As they returned to the city streets and searched for a motel they could crash at for the rest of the night, the older woman tried to be positive. 

“Great. Taking the word of mobsters,” The injured woman complained. She never liked mobsters, had an incredibly awful past regarding them. Yet, that was where their current information was coming from. The enemy of their enemy was their friend. Their new friends just happened to be another criminal organization. 

“We fight bad guys, we gotta think like bad guys. Also. They have much better resources than we do,” That was the main reason the women and their team’s fight spanned decades. Whereas their enemy had so much power and influence, they were limited in just about everything. There were also moments where they had to pause their fighting and hide out for a long while. 

“Like a doctor for this bite,” The injured woman regarded her bleeding arm. She had treated it as best she could. But she probably needed medical attention. 

“You don’t have rabies,” The older woman rolled her eyes. She pulled her friend into an alley with her to cut through the late night crowd that was forming around them. Last call at bars and clubs must’ve recently been called; they weren’t as secluded outside anymore.

“Uh, it’s still a really bad bite,” Once they were relatively alone again, the injured woman complained. She didn’t like the idea of going to the mobsters either. But it wasn’t as though they could go to a legitimate doctor; their enemies would be notified in a second. To stave off her possible infection, the mob doctors were their best bet. 

“Ugh. Fine. Maybe they can give us something else so we’re not completely empty handed,” The older woman changed course. She always had to look to the positives. Seeing a bright future was what helped her through the fight the most. 

“Like another black book location?” The injured woman was being hopeful. They’d have to catch a break at some point. 

“Or a person we’d have time to torture for information,” It was a darker thought, one the older woman didn’t like to dwell in. However, as the long years went on she was growing desperate. The war needed to end. They couldn’t fight forever. 

“Always the woman with the plan.”

“Someone’s gotta get us back home.”


	7. Chapter 6

Pj couldn’t sleep. She didn’t even attempt it. Thoughts about the manager and her mother filled her head and wouldn’t leave. She was terrified of the nightmares that were bound to torment her. So when she knew James had fallen asleep, she dug into her new information. Most of it was about the patrons that would come and go. She could pass that intel onto her contacts. The other contents of the ‘black book’ tracked the different ways the Shop shuffled its money. Pj had gotten bits of that information before, yet that gave her so much more to work with. 

Missy eventually joined her on the floor, as she sprawled out everything she had. Her dog curled up tightly against her leg, relaxing her immensely while she pet her. Pj had to focus on a money trail she could create. Having the right amount of funds affected everybody, from rogues to formidable organizations. If she could attack their whole money flow instead of small shells here and there, she could seriously cripple the Shop. The fact excited her; she felt so close to the finishing line, she could touch it. Time slipped away from her as she researched and studied. 

“Hey,” James’ sleep rough voice startled Pj. Blinking, she glanced up at him. The sun had started to peek through the windows- she had been working for hours. As if noticing that for the first time, her body was stiff and sore. She got to her feet, stretching and trying to play off the fact that she hadn’t slept at all. 

“Hey,” Throwing James a lopsided grin, Pj replied. If the bags under his eyes was any indication, he didn’t seem to have slept well throughout the night. Instead of telling him what she had found or picking up from their earlier fight, she gave him a task to follow that would wake him up, “You should probably go get your bike.”

James nodded and looked for where he had thrown his keys. The majority of his things were with his motorcycle, he really needed to go back for it. Although he wanted to discuss the things said (and not said) from the night before, he didn’t have the energy yet. He also didn’t have the energy to berate Pj for not sleeping, and digging through the intel without him. Maybe the early morning adventure would do him good, “You don’t need to get yours?”

“I kinda stole it,” Pj admitted with a shrug. It was better to keep it where it was. She had planned on abandoning it and getting a cleaner one anyway. She expected James to chew her out for stealing and lying and not having a healthy sleep cycle. He surprised her though; he was getting amazing at that.

“Sounds bout right,” James laughed. It was sleepy and soft, but the joy made Pj smile. The night apart must’ve been the best thing for them. Hurt feelings had been processed. And they could slip back into their easy friendship. At least it appeared that way in the early morning light. If they didn’t talk soon, they were going to explode again. They could put it off, however, while James collected his things, “You want a coffee?”

He left after her answering nod. Pj spent her time alone to take a break from her strategizing. She took Missy on a run, and gave her food to eat as she showered. She meant to clean her mess and make a more coherent strategy to share with James, however, something caught her attention. It was a money payment request she had discarded as part of the fighting ring patrons’ information. But looking at it again, she realized how different and out of place it was. James found her examining it studiously when he returned in a change of clothes and with coffee, “Whatcha got?”

“Um. Something I need to talk to someone about,” Pj didn’t take her eyes off of the intel as she took her to-go cup. Her hand brushed his while he passed it over. It was a brief touch, yet his hazel eyes snapped to her green. He tried to hide his blush. She chugged her drink to forget whatever that was. 

“That contact that got you into the fighting ring? Are they trustworthy?” Remembering what Pj told him, James awkwardly moved forward. Alright, the two definitely had to talk. Except, it was a matter of who was going to break and bring up the difficult conversation first. 

“Oh yeah, yeah. That ring wasn’t just Shop. It was a whole bunch of criminals. My guys are also enemies of the Shop. Something bout money laundering. I don’t know, mob stuff. I just took the whole enemy of my enemy to heart,” Quickly, Pj explained the new ‘friends’ she had made while on the run. She wasn’t a fan of the idea. But they were the best associations she could make. Besides, the man she dealt with wasn’t all too bad. 

“So. You’re friends with mobsters,” James smirked. He wasn’t judging her for her choices. He was finally starting to understand them. Pj relaxed at his grin. They were moving somewhere together, hopefully that somewhere was forward.

Finishing her coffee, Pj began to gather what she needed and hide away the rest. James helped, taking her directions well. The two had always worked great together (especially when it came to teasing siblings and friends). The three months might have strained their emotions, but never their connection, “Just Triad. And they don’t traffic humans. I checked.”

That fact was very important to the both of them. James relaxed, more comfortable about the thought of working with the criminals. An old story he had heard still held reservations, though, “Didn’t your parents take out a Triad leader once?”

“As long as it’s not the Russians,” Pj admitted. She’d rather work with people her parents screwed over decades ago than people who bought and sold her friends’ mom. James appeared to be able to roll with that as well. So with a bright smile, she stole the keys to his bike, stuffed her intel in the pocket of her shorts, and ordered Missy to stay, “You coming or what, Jamie.”

On the way to meet with her contacts, Pj told James her strategy of taking out the Shop through financials; she thought she had enough information to do so. He agreed with her plan, saying the others could help with that. He had called their team on a secure line, and told them what had happened. They were going to join the two at the loft, since it was easier for them to move their things than for her. He also told them that Pj was right; they had to change the way they operated. As long as their family was all together again, everyone agreed. Despite being anxious about reuniting with her team, Pj appreciated what James had done. Things just might be looking up for them. 

Pj led the way inside the building where the Triad worked. She insisted that James was with her and worth their trust. The stubbornness in her gaze wasn’t to be questioned. They were allowed to go to the back offices. One of the rooms had a locked door and the blinds were closed, but the one next to it was wide open. Pj burst into that one. The instant the muscled man behind the desk saw her, he beamed, “Hey, my favorite outside hire. You got anything for me?”

“Yup. But. I’m gonna need something first,” Pj removed the intel from her pocket, but held it out of his reach. She made quick introductions for James (the man’s name was Ben), before settling on an expression that meant she was all business. 

Ben sighed. James recognized the sigh, it was always brought on by dealing with Pj; it meant you were tragically outmatched, “It’s bout that raid on the ring huh?”

“Something like that,” Of course Ben would know about it. Pj was a little surprised he had heard so quickly, however. She thought the Shop would’ve wanted to keep their loss underwraps. Maybe they did, and Ben’s source of information was that good. She hoped that was the case. The thing she was sitting on relied on it. 

“Fine. But first, how’s your fighting?” Moving from behind his desk, Ben carefully studied Pj over for bruising. Despite being an asset the Triad used for jobs and paid in information, some of the members cared about her. Her reckless behavior in the fighting ring had caused a couple of them to become concerned. She played it off, as she usually did. She could take care of herself. 

James answered before Pj could. His full lips lifted in a proud smile, and he glanced over at her with adoration. The look stopped her breathing for a second, “More than good.”

“You sure? Our doctor just finished with a dog bite,” Ben indicated in the room next door. The doctor they had in their pockets could be over in an instant to examine Pj for any serious injuries. It would be no trouble at all.

Whereas Pj shook her head, James agreed; someone had to force her to look after herself. She smacked him in the arm in retaliation, and Ben chuckled. Once they had finished their info sharing, he’d ask for the doctor. Business first, then forcing her to sit through an examination, “What do you wanna know?”

“What the hell does this mean?” Pj stopped glaring at the men for a second. While she dropped the gamblers’ information on the desk, she handed Ben the payment request form. He didn’t have to look over it long. He had seen enough of forms like that to know what it was about. He had also been working against the Shop for a long while. He had picked up on the way they operated, and used and burned assets. 

“It means you’re fucked, little girl,” Her look said everything for her; she didn’t have time for games. Ben elaborated before Pj could put action to that terrifying expression, “Some guy’s selling information.”

“Who? What info?” James and Pj asked at the same time. They attempted to cover their panic, but it was palpable. Their team had been successfully in the shadows for years. Who knew what would happen if their enemies became aware of who they were. Not only might it have affected them, but their parents as well. The two couldn’t let that happen. They had to stop the information leak at all costs.

Mostly for Pj’s and James’ benefit, Ben looked over the form again. He knew there wasn’t anything else he could tell them, but he wanted to try something. They were so young and desperate, he couldn’t leave them out to dry- especially Pj. She had done so much for him. She was a good kid; a giant stubborn pain in the ass, but her heart was in the right place. He could at least grasp at some straws, “Stay here. My boss might’ve heard about this.”

The young agents remained rooted in their spots. They’d follow orders for a hopeful scrap of intel. Ben left the doors open to the offices as he went to the next room. Pj and James could hear what he was saying. They could also hear two women’s reactions. They knew of the info leak; they even had a name. Sam Matthews. Although that meant nothing to James and Pj, the women appeared livid. There was going to be a meet that night where the payment and information were going to be exchanged. Immediately, Pj scribbled down the time and place. She was already forming a plan to stop the leak from happening. James was right there with her.

Before Ben could return (and with the doctor that was supposed to check Pj over), the young agents bolted. They had a mission to discuss, and quickly. Fortunately, the rest of their team would be with them soon to hash out the details. Unfortunately, in their hurry neither Pj nor James heard what the women had to say next- they were going to ruin the meeting as well.


	8. Chapter 7

James and Pj were in a rush. They hurriedly pieced together every scrap of information they had. They focused on the money trail idea Pj had, creating their own ‘wall of crazy’ that could have rivaled Ryan’s. When they finally had something solid they could strategize, the two moved onto plan the mission for that night. They had to get as much background done as possible before their team arrived. That way, they could quickly go over everything and start on how they were going to ruin the info leak. Movement was finally being made in their war. They couldn’t stop to pause and reflect. They simply had to go.

Missy alerted Pj and James to the other’s arrival. She barked and growled, ready to defend the safehouse. Pj called her off (and gave her a treat for following her training) when she heard her family’s voices. Felicity burst through the doorway first, listing off the different ways she could strengthen the loft’s security. She stopped the second she saw Pj, however. The rogue gave the stunned computer tech a little wave and a crooked grin. Dropping her bags, she rushed to her friend and wrapped her in a tight hug. Kara joined them, and the three young women giggled and swayed in the embrace. Missy jumped at their legs to share the love; they excitedly pet her in response.

After a long moment, Kara and Felicity turned their attention to James and to Missy (she received the most praise). It was Max and Olivier’s turn to welcome Pj back. Never the two to hug one another, Pj and Oliver settled on playful teases and punches. The familiarity was comforting, and their smiles were light and breezy. Max held back from the scene for a second. He was excited to see his sister again, but he wouldn’t deny how hurt he felt. Pj flashed her brother an apologetic smile. They would talk; she promised. It was good enough for the moment, and the siblings embraced. Once they parted, Max very seriously traced the new scar he spotted on Pj’s shoulder, “We were right.”

Green eyes rolling, Pj scoffed. The sound got Max to chuckle. They didn’t need to argue over things said in the past. The two both understood the other’s points. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to brag, however. Smirking, she turned and indicated the ‘wall of crazy’ behind her. The amount of intel was beyond impressive, “So was I.”

“Holy shit,” Max moved to the whiteboard, his dark eyes trying to take in everything. Kara and Oliver were just as captivated. All of their bags were abandoned while they read things over and processed. The three even added some information they had that was missing, talking things through as they went. Felicity was more focused on setting up her tech. The agents would tell her what she needed to hack later. For the moment, she had to set up a stronger and more secure internet connection. She also needed to take back the tech Pj had stolen from her. 

“This isn’t even the most impressive thing she’s done,” Explaining the intel and what she had planned to do with it, James beamed. He was absolutely in awe of Pj. The fact made her hide a blush with some sort of flirty tease. Kara and Max shared a knowing look in response. Whereas everyone else on the team were able to recognize and admit feelings, those two just couldn’t. Watching from the outside, it was entertaining. But between them, it was frustrating. 

“Where’s Fletch and Owen?” Pj changed the topic. She hadn’t seen any sign of the men since the others had crashed her safehouse. Judging by their expressions, however, she wasn’t going to see them any time soon. Although she was disappointed, she understood. Ryan and Owen had their missions, just as they had theirs. Sometimes, they simply couldn’t all be together. 

“They haven’t come back from their latest mission,” Softly, Kara answered. She was always worried about them while they were away, yet that time was different. The team hadn’t heard anything from them in weeks. They were growing more and more apprehensive. It wasn’t like the men to be so radio silent. They usually checked in on them, or gave them something to do. Their silence was deafening. 

“How long have they been gone?” James wondered. He saw Owen and Ryan right before he left to chase after Pj. He promised to stay in touch, and they had promised the same. James had kept up his deal, but obviously they hadn’t. Something must’ve happened. 

“Long. But, it’s still not the longest,” Max attempted to appease the anxiety. They could be worried, but they shouldn’t let it consume them. There were other things to pay attention to and put all their energy in. 

Felicity agreed. Plopping down in a chair at her makeshift computer station, she wanted to discuss everything that had happened in the past three months. She mostly wanted to talk about Missy, who was playing around with everybody (Kara being incredibly ecstatic to pet the dog). She knew that they had so many things to say, “So catch up now or later?”

“After our briefing. And just the good stuff,” Pj decided for the team, throwing a wink to James. It was his turn to hide a blush by coughing. It was also Oliver’s and Felicity’s turn to share a knowing look. Three months didn’t change too much for their little family. Which actually helped them sit down and listen to one another as they strategized. Their first priority was the information leak that night. Once they stopped that, they could track the Shop’s money flow. There was some squabbling over details, but otherwise everyone was in agreement. Their combined intel and skills led them to a solid action plan. They were feeling pretty good about that fact. 

“A little reckless, Peej,” After it was all said and done, Max commented on the exfil Pj suggested. He wasn’t judging it, however; it was the best idea. He simply nudged her, letting her know that despite everything he was still going to support her. 

“But reckless together,” Pj nudged back. She beamed at her family, and they returned the adoration. They weren’t ignoring the hurt they had felt in the past, they were only moving forward. Once they didn’t have to rush off on a mission, they would talk. It would be serious and thoughtful and they would all have their chance to share. At that moment, though, they could joke and play with Missy. It was their calm before the storm. 

“She’s made some good points,” As the team began to gear up and change for the op, Oliver shrugged. Pj couldn’t help but laugh at his sentiment. Hearing that Pierce compliment her was always rare. Oliver rolled his blue eyes, but James and Kara were laughing too. Felicity bit back her own giggles, grinning sympathetically. Max was the longest to hold out on laughing- it wasn’t that funny. Yet with everyone else so joyous around him, he chuckled. Eventually, the whole team was laughing and teasing. 

They had missed the lightness each other could bring. When the world and the Shop seemed to weigh them down, they had one another to rely on. No matter what they went through, they would be there to love and care for their family. Kara fought through the laughing fit, and grabbed the other's attention. They needed to refocus, “With that stunning praise, I think we got our plan.”

And the team did. The agents geared up and went over everything once more, before rolling out. The hacker became their eyes in the sky, controlling every camera she could from her setup in the safehouse (Missy stayed behind with her to double the security). There were also trackers and coms in place to help confirm locations and safety. The meeting was taking place in a junkyard in Jersey. The young agents were able to position themselves out of sight, while keeping their eyes on what looked to be a clearing. They had planned to wait until the exchange of information and money went down before they attacked. An explosion from the far end of the junkyard ruined things, however. Max was quick to shift blame to his sister, “Firecracker!”

“That wasn’t me, Striker!” Pj snapped at her brother, continuing the use of their codenames. She was nowhere near that blast, none of them were. Either something else was going on in that place, or someone else was there. Didn’t matter which was correct, though. The people doing the exchange scattered. The agents had to split to search for them.

“Little Bit, we have company,” Kara informed Felicity as she and Max took off towards the south end of the yard. Pj, James, and Oliver sprinted in the other direction, attempting to cover as much ground as possible. They weren’t going to lose that mission. Information could not be leaked to the Shop. Who knew what could’ve happened if it did. 

“Ding, ding, ding. Angel’s correct. There’s five tangos in the northwest corner,” Felicity confirmed. Missy was great company in calming her nerves. It was always stressful watching the op from behind a computer. Luckily, she was able to soothe herself by petting the dog.

“Ace, Roughrider,” Pj nodded to James then Oliver. They were close to that corner. If they fanned out, they could trap the targets and stop them from ruining their mission. Except, creeping forward with her gun raised, Pj got distracted. She spotted something out of the corner of her eye- a creepy, old pig mask, “Hey. That’s mine.”

Both James and Oliver reached to grab her, but she ran off in another direction. The brothers cursed under their breath. Any attempts to reach her over coms were of no use, “Get back here. We need to stick together.”

Whoever was in the pig mask was alone; they were separated from the other tangos. Pj took that to her advantage. She lunged, knocking away the person’s gun. Her gun was knocked away just as quickly. The two were evenly matched as they fought- blows equally traded and blocked. But eventually, the person in the mask got Pj pinned against a pile of junk. They held a knife to her throat. Joke was on them though, she had her own combat knife against their ribs, “If you’re gonna crash my safehouse, you can at least include me on your op.”

She thought the person was some sort of spy or a member of those rival criminal organizations. Who else would attack the Shop so blatantly. Pj figured she could get them to be an ally or a contact. That was why she was so flippant. Yet the person in the mask paused. A close look at the knife in her hand, made them back away shaking. When Pj took a cautious step forward, they knocked the baseball cap she had thrown on to hide her face off her head. One glance at her unobstructed had the person nearly falling to their knees. They could barely breathe, “No…”

Terrified yet curious of what she was going to find, Pj slowly reached to pull off the pig mask. The person let her. As soon as the mask came off, she could hardly breathe too. The disgusting thing slipped out of her grasp and onto the ground, “Way.”


	9. Chapter 8

_ Ten years Earlier _

They argued for days. They tried to come up with a solution- any solution- that was better than the one they had. They couldn’t, and it wasn’t fair. Nothing about their current situation really was. But it was good, it was solid. They had to shake it up though, and ruin everything they built. No matter what, they just couldn’t have that happily ever after. Even when they thought they might achieve it, the rug was ripped from underneath them. They couldn’t have it all. They were destined to suffer.

The team had to separate for a while. How long that while was, nobody knew. Yet it had to happen. The Shop and its Dirty Thirty had caught onto their trail. If the team wanted to protect one another, they had to scatter. And God did they want to protect each other, especially the youngest members on their team. The kids couldn’t be involved in their war. They deserved a better life, one free of the terrible things their parents had endured. Unfortunately, the best way the team had come up with to ensure that was leaving. Not forever- never forever- just long enough to defeat the evil and save the day. They all begged for that to be soon. 

Although the team didn’t share all of the details with their kids, they knew what was going on. Or, at least the weight of what was occurring. They picked it up by how vague their parents were, and how much time they were devoting to them. The kids weren’t going to complain about that, though. They loved all of the activities and things they were doing with their families. They simply wished their parents didn’t seem so sad, as though that might be the last moment they spent together. That couldn’t be true- ever.

Their last night all together was spent doing every bit of fun they could imagine. It was a great memory to get them through. They could hold onto it while they were separated for that short amount of time they planned. Despite that, Nikita still found herself in the kitchen of their latest safehouse too stressed to sleep. She was honestly too stressed to do anything. She was putting on a brave face for everybody. However, she was barely holding on. Keeping the kids safe was the priority. They were doing the right thing. She still felt like shit, though. Fortunately, light footsteps pulled her out of her anxious and sorrowful thoughts, “What are you doing?”

Her young daughter, Pj, poked her head into the kitchen, flashing a crooked smile. Nikita relaxed at the sight of her. Though she was always up to some trouble, she was a source of constant happiness and love. Pj joined her mom by the counter, obviously trying to create some excuse as to why she was out of bed. The best she could come up with was a shrug, “Uh. Midnight snack.”

“It’s ten-thirty,” Glancing at the clock, Nikita called her bluff. Her daughter was no doubt on her way to or coming back from torturing James and Oliver. Recently, she had made it her mission to torment Alex’s and Sean’s sons. And she was good at it. Michael and Nikita probably should’ve talked to her about it, but it was harmless pranks. Besides, the boys seemed to be able to retaliate just fine. They simply had to recruit their sister, Kara, and Birkhoff’s and Sonya’s daughter, Felicity, into their schemes. 

“It’s midnight in a different time zone,” Pj tried again. She was getting better at attempting to weasel herself out of trouble, Nikita would give her that. Yet she still utilized her best ‘mom’ glare. Her daughter sighed, “Fine. You got me. I didn’t think I could stay up that late. I’m still too young.”

Nikita did her best not to laugh. That definitely wasn’t the truth. But the lie was too good, she had to let her get away with it. Rolling her brown eyes, she picked up her daughter and sat her on the counter. Pj swung her feet back and forth in anticipation. She beamed brilliantly as her mom moved to the fridge, “What do you want?”

“Frozen gogurt, please,” Pj excitedly asked for her favorite snack. Nikita had expected it, grabbing two for the both of them and ripping off the tops. They ate their treats, Pj continuing to happily swing her feet. Nikita couldn’t help but scoop her up in a hug and place a kiss to her forehead. Her daughter made her heart swell so much, she didn’t know what she was going to do without her. She was keeping her safe; she had to focus on that. She was going to be happy and alive, and be so much better than her. That was what Nikita was fighting for. Pj appeared to have sensed her mom’s mood shift, asking softly, “Did you use to do this with your mom?”

“No. You and I do our own special things,” Tucking a strand of Pj’s long dark hair behind her ear, Nikita smiled lovingly. She hadn’t told her daughter much about her childhood. It wasn’t important. Her present and future with her team and her family were much brighter. She wasn’t going to be dragged down by her past any longer. 

Nodding, Pj returned to her snack. She was seriously thinking about something. Nikita could tell, mostly because she made the same expression as her dad. For a nine year old, she could be very serious at times. It at least gave them a break from her wild and rascally antics, “Oh. ‘Cause I heard you and Dad talking about her.”

Michael and Nikita had discussed a lot of things recently. Leaving their daughter was definitely one of them. Nikita felt like they were no better than her parents, or lack thereof. They couldn’t just abandon Pj. Michael assured her that wasn’t what they were doing. He didn’t abandon Max, after all (he was safe and far away with his mother Cassandra); she was the one who had comforted him about that. They were keeping her from the sins of her parents. She shouldn’t have to suffer because of their war. That in mind, Nikita decided to distract Pj from the subject, “She died a long time ago. But let’s not talk about that. How’s school?”

“Ugh. Boring. Why do I have to keep doing homework? I know it already,” Pj probably did. The kids did online school, which allowed them to move ahead pretty quickly. Those kids were too smart for their own good sometimes. Her daughter especially. Michael and Nikita had their hands full with her. Luckily, she was still at an impressionable age. They could fight through her stubbornness. 

“How else are you gonna prove you’re the smartest in the class?” Nudging Pj, Nikita winked. Her daughter giggled brightly, causing her to laugh as well. The two continued to eat their treats, while they enjoyed their own little joke. They were in a bubble of peace. 

Eventually, Pj repeated some words she probably picked up from her mom. She was more and more like Nikita everyday. She might have had her dad’s eyes and his endearing half smile, but everything else was all her mother, “Luck and charm.”

“ _ Lucky Charms _ ? Isn’t it a little too late for cereal?” Smirking, Michael joined his girls in the kitchen. He had wondered where Nikita had gone, leaving the warmth of their bed to find her. After hearing his wife and daughter laughing, he hurried to be with them. Their joy could always settle him, his heart soaring and his smile blooming. 

“Not if it’s a midnight snack,” Proudly, Pj held up her frozen snack. Nikita offered her half finished yogurt to her husband, shrugging. Instead of taking a bite, Michael placed a sweet kiss to her lips; that was the superior treat anyway. Although she rolled her eyes, she relaxed into the affecting and kissed him back. They both ignored their daughter as she squirmed and squeaked about how gross they were. Soon, Nikita copied the ‘gross’ sentiment by making a face and poking her in the side. Michael retaliated by tickling Pj. She collapsed in giggles and shrieks. 

The family laughed and teased, their bubble of peace and happiness growing. Moments like that one weren’t rare for them. Even with the harrowing aspects of fighting the Shop, they still had time for joy. Michael continued the lightness, asking what conversation he had just interrupted, “So what are you lovely ladies talking about?”

“How smart Pj is. Which is why she has to do her homework,” Nikita reiterated. Pj rolled her green eyes, and focused on her snack. Michael fought against a chuckle when his wife shot him a look. They were so alike it was almost hilarious. 

Yet he had to control his amusement. Nikita needed Michael’s support in the argument. He quickly took away the gogurt from Pj, gaining her attention and a scowl. Oh she definitely was her mother’s daughter alright, “That’s right, Peej. Keep working and one day you’ll be able to outsmart me.”

After a moment of thought, Pj suddenly jabbed Michael in the eye. He dropped the treat, and she grabbed it before it fell to the ground. Nikita’s laughter at her husband’s expense burst out of her. She shouldn’t have celebrated her daughter’s behavior, but the move was just too surprising and funny. He managed to laugh as well once the shock subsided, “I already can. Mom taught me.”

“I have to pass on my legacy,” Between giggles, Nikita confessed. Michael couldn’t do anything but laugh; he was seriously outnumbered. The three remained in the kitchen a little longer, enough time to joke around, finish snacks, and for Pj to start to yawn. She fought against her exhaustion, but she was fading fast. Her mom placed another kiss on her forehead, and her dad picked her up. 

“Come on little Miss. It’s time for bed,” Michael carried his daughter to her bedroom, Nikita following close behind. They got her into bed without incident, but once under her blankets she was hesitant to let her parents go. Sensing Pj’s apprehension, they stayed by her side. They’d listen to whatever concern or worry she had. 

Pj twisted the corner of one of her blankets. She knew what was going to happen in the morning, but she didn’t want it to. She never liked when Michael and Nikita had to go away for something. She preferred to know where they were if she ever needed them. She hardly ever did, yet it was a peaceful feeling to have, “Are you gonna wake me up before you leave?”

“Of course. And don’t worry. We’ll be back before you know it,” Nikita swallowed down sudden tears, soothing her daughter. The longest they had left on missions before was a little more than a day. It was a big change. However, Pj wouldn’t have to go through it alone. She had the other kids with her, as well as Ryan and Owen. And her parents were never going to be far away for long. Her mom had a surprise for her to help her see that, “You know what. I’m gonna give you something to hold onto for us. Okay?”

Nikita hurried to her and Michael’s room to grab his knife. It was a last second thought. He had once given her the weapon as a good luck charm on a mission when they were supposed to be on opposing sides. The knife grounded her to him after she thought he was lost. But Michael wasn’t ever far from Nikita. As proof of that, he was able to read her mind when she returned with the gift, “It’s a good luck charm.”

“I’m a big girl now. I don’t need a good luck charm,” Pj regarded the knife cautiously. The kids had received so many safety lectures over weapons, she didn’t know how to accept her gift. It probably wasn’t the wisest decision to give their rambunctious daughter a weapon. But they’d talk to Ryan about it and he’d keep an eye out. Regardless, her mom put it atop her dresser, grinning wistfully. 

“Take it anyway, big girl,” Her dad placed a kiss to her head, and helped her settle against the mattress. Her mom did the same, brushing her hair from her face. Pj didn’t want them to leave, and they felt the same. Except, it was the right thing to do. For their family to finally have their freedom and happily ever after, they had to separate. The team had to make their trail go cold, so they couldn’t be tracked anymore. Why did saving the ones you loved have to hurt so damn much sometimes. Hugging a little too tightly and choking back tears, the family promised to be in each other’s hearts forever, “Love you.”

It wasn’t meant to be a ten year mission. The team was supposed to take down the Shop way before then. But they were so seriously outmatched. They were frustrated, exhausted, and almost ready to give up. They couldn’t stand being separated from their family for so long. It was too much. They finally got some solid leads, however. And they were following them to great successes. Until the info leak. Until the betrayal of one of their own. And until Nikita saw a knife she had given away a decade before. The knife shouldn’t have been there. The teenager with her dad’s eyes and smile and her mom’s everything else shouldn’t have been there. Things were worse than they had thought. The world was starting to fall apart.


	10. Chapter 9

“Firecracker, I swear to God,” James and Oliver attempted to follow after Pj. She shouldn’t have run off like that; they didn’t know who they were facing against. The junkyard was also a maze. She had gone around a corner and vanished. The two were left chasing after her once again. When they got close to where she might have been however, they spotted an armed assailant. The person was creeping towards where the meet would’ve taken place had it not been for the explosion. It was a split second decision, but James and Oliver took off after them instead. Pj would’ve called for them if she needed them; she was fine. The person and their threat was the greater priority.

“What the hell is going on with you three?” Kara hissed into her com. They probably should’ve split up differently. Her brothers and Max could never get Pj to listen. She couldn’t really either, but she’d be able to do something more than James and Oliver. They probably wouldn’t be scattered. She was going to snap at the team more, make some kind of commands to get it together. Who knew what was going on, they couldn’t be acting like idiots. But an armed target running past distracted her. The threat was more important than a separated team. Besides, they’d call for help on the coms when needed.

“Hey. Not you too,” Max attempted to follow Kara. Yet she was gone, chasing down a possible lead. He sighed and continued his own search. She could handle herself. They all could. Maybe breaking off on their own was the better plan, anyway. The junkyard was expansive; it was going to take time to explore it all. If it required them to spread out to stop the information leak, then so be it. They had to do anything to cripple the Shop and take them out. That included making difficult decisions. And Max was faced with one at the moment. He noticed two assailants with weapons sprint off into different directions. In an instant, he had to choose who to follow. Considering one was headed towards Pj’s last known location, he chased the other.

“Who is fucking with my hack?” Felicity slammed on her keyboard. She didn't normally run into interference while providing tech support. She operated off her own frequency and network. But for some reason, that mission was throwing off all their plans. She attempted fighting the intrusion, yet there almost seemed to be two people against her. Missy helped as best she could, resting her head on her lap. However, she was intently focused on securing her hack. The team needed her to be their eyes and ears out there. She couldn’t afford to let them down. Whoever she was working against was tough, though. But not tough enough. She managed to fight them back, shouting in triumph, “Now, let’s see who thinks they’re better than us.”

“I did all my homework,” Pj didn’t expect to say that to her mom. She was exhausted, running on nothing but caffeine and adrenaline. That must’ve been why the shock got to her so much; she couldn’t think of anything else. All she could do was stare at Nikita Mears-Bishop. And all her mom could do was stare back. Eventually, she approached her daughter with shaking hands and wavering gaze. It was almost as though she didn’t believe she was really there in front of her. For some reason, Pj thought her mom was going to comment about the red dyed into her dark hair, or her tattoos (despite the fact that her mission clothes covered those). Or maybe that she was going to yell at her for being there. Instead, Nikita placed a soothing palm to her cheek. Tears sprang to her brown eyes, yet she smiled brilliantly.

“I wouldn’t go that way if I were you. You might get hurt,” Oliver and James echoed one another. They had fanned out while they were following their target. They managed to trap them, aiming their guns at them from two different angles. The brothers backed the person into a corner, and cut off any possible escape routes. Yet they didn’t appear like they wanted to escape. They dropped their pistol to their side, stuttering for breath. Dark hazel eyes studied the two over in awe, shock, and something else. With a glance at Oliver, James took the chance to rip off the ski mask the person was wearing. The brothers stepped back surprised. Sean Pierce just stared at his sons.

“Where’d you go?” Kara muttered to herself. She had turned a corner and lost the assailant she was chasing. After a beat, her instincts made her glance up- just in time too. The person dropped from a pile of junk, ready to attack; they must’ve spotted the tail. But she was prepared. She blocked the hits, and returned some of her own. The target’s arm was bandaged up, so she used that to her advantage with some well placed strikes. Soon, she got them in a tight hold they couldn’t break from. However, the target quit trying to do so the second their blue eyes got a good look at her. Quickly, they shook off the ski mask covering their face. Kara let go of her with a gasp. Alexandra Udinov didn’t need to hide from her daughter.

“You know. I’m getting real sick of this shit,” Max rolled his dark eyes as he caught up to the assailant he decided to follow. They whirled around rapidly, their own weapon trained on him. But it didn’t stay like that for long. The tango tore off their ski mask as fast as they could, and stumbled towards him. He was prepared for a fight, but he didn’t need to be. Without wasting time, Max closed the gap between him and the person. Cassandra Ovechkin didn’t hesitate either, embracing her son.

“I have you now,” Felicity was rapid fire with her keystrokes. She completely halted the other hacker (possibly hackers) from piggybacking off her network. However, she wasn’t going to stop there. She wanted to ensure they couldn’t interfere again. Taking a moment to scratch Missy behind the ears and take a swig of an energy drink, she attempted to thoroughly wipe whoever was messing with her off the net. She had a nasty virus in mind she could implant on their server. Except, a line of code she recognized flashed across her screen. Felicity paused and gawked. It was the first bit of coding she had ever learned. It was written by Seymour and Sonya Birkhoff specifically for their daughter, “We found them.”

“Oh, Piper. Look at you. You’re perfect,” Nikita could hardly speak, but it was important for her to say. Her daughter had always been absolutely, without a doubt, perfect. She wrapped Pj in the tightest hug imaginable. She returned the embrace, allowing the tears to overcome her green eyes. They had no idea how long they held each other, but it didn’t matter; nothing else mattered. Approaching footsteps soon made them part. Instinctively, Nikita blocked Pj from the potential threat. Yet once the intruder yanked off their mask, she relaxed. Michael Mears-Bishop didn’t think he could take another step forward. He stared at his daughter in complete awe. She took the last couple of strides to him, leaping into her dad’s arms. He held her as securely as he could. Nikita quickly joined her family, “There’s so many… so many things we wanna tell you. But now’s not the time.”

“Right the info leak. Do you know who this ‘Sam’ person is?” Pj assumed that was why her parents were there. She slowly pulled away from them, but only far enough to search their expressions. Nikita and Michael seemed so tired; they also looked enraged. But most of all, they were unbelievably ecstatic to have their daughter in their arms again. No one had let go of each other. The three of them needed to know without a doubt that they were there; it wasn’t some illusion. Despite their emotional moment together, there were so many other things occurring to concentrate on. One such thing filled Michael and Nikita with so much rage, that Pj could barely calm them. 

“Owen,” If there was any way to remind a person where they were so harshly, it was that. Their happy little reunion was wrapped in darkness; their family was still broken.


	11. Chapter 10

Nikita felt her daughter stiffen in her arms. She knew Pj was livid, who wouldn’t be. The shock of Owen’s- Sam’s- betrayal made everyone turn to acidity and call for blood. Whereas she, Michael, and their team had some time to process the information after Ryan ran to them and told them about Sam and their contact told them of the deal, their daughter hadn’t. She was violently thrown for a loop in the middle of a mission. Thrown twice really, considering the massive surprise that were her parents. She appeared strained, shaken up, and willing to do anything to fix it all. It was ironic that Nikita had to ensure the latter didn’t happen. The queen of recklessness had to get everything under control. That was going to be a challenge with her daughter.

Pj tore away from Nikita and Michael, green eyes simmering in rage. Her mother attempted to chase after her, talk to her and calm her down; she couldn’t just rush in. But she fought against her, throwing her cap back on and grabbing her weapons (and harshly throwing her parents their things). Fury fueled her every movement. She even barked into her coms, louder than she probably should’ve given where they were, “Little Bit! Who’s the closest to my location?”

Ignoring the fact that Pj was calling for her team to assist her instead of her parents, Nikita took hold of her arm. Although the grip was tight enough that she couldn’t move, she made certain she wasn’t hurting her. She brushed a soothing thumb over her defined bicep and gently pulled her closer. It stung Nikita to see Pj taller than her. She wasn’t the little girl she could pick up and carry around anymore; she was nearly as tall as Michael. But she swallowed that down to focus on protecting her from danger, “Piper. You need to stop and think…”

“No,” Pj seethed, ripping her arm away. For a split second, Nikita thought she was talking to a nineteen year old Alex all over again. The sheer stubbornness and unwillingness to yield was striking. But then she thought of Michael. Pj’s expression was beyond grave and serious, there was no use in fighting against her. Michael still tried. He moved to settle her and calm her. It suddenly reminded Nikita of herself. How many times had her husband talked her off the ledge, soothing her with soft words. And how many times had it actually worked. Their daughter was just as ready for action as before. It was obvious then to see the young woman she had become. She had learned from the many people around her, and shaped herself around it. She was fierce and strong, in all aspects of the word. Nikita was so unbelievably proud.

However, that was not the life she had wanted for her daughter. Pj shouldn’t have followed in her parents’ footsteps. She should’ve had better- more. Instead, she was just like Michael and Nikita. Despite everything about her daughter filling her heart with so much joy, she couldn’t stomach the fact that she was running a mission as dangerous as that one. They had separated from their kids to keep them from that life, as far away from danger as possible. Sadly, it was all for nothing. Michael’s normally gruff voice lightened with the stress of it all, “You’re not rushing off on your own.”

“Why not? You did,” The words were definitely meant to hurt. Pj was not one one to pull her punches. She forcefully crossed her arms and leveled a harsh gaze. Nikita and Michael shared a glance. They didn’t have anything to defend themselves with, not that they wanted to. The two were aware of their mistakes. Yet they would continue to do anything to protect their daughter. If that included changing their plans all of a sudden, then they would. After all, they were always stellar at improvising out in the field. 

“And that’s a mistake we’ll be paying for for the rest of our lives. Now. Who’s with you, what was your plan, and how can we make a new one on the fly?” They had the time to hash all of that out. They had jammed communications and demolished the Shop’s getaway vehicles with explosives; their enemies were trapped at the junkyard with them for a long while. Nikita suggested the idea without room for disagreement. Pj would work with her and Michael, no questions asked. Her husband backed her play by reflecting their daughter’s glare back at her. It only took her a second of consideration, before she nodded. There was the Pj Nikita and Michael had known, mischievous green eyes sparkling and determined smirk growing.

Alex embraced Kara a little too tightly. It was awkward, the position brought about from breaking a hold. Yet neither mother nor daughter really cared. They were in each other's arms again after nearly a decade apart, nothing was going to ruin that moment. Including Alex’s intrusive thoughts of her own past. She had been ripped away from her family at thirteen, just like her children. Also like her children, she was kept away for far too long. The decision to leave Kara, Oliver, and James had almost torn her to shreds. She knew it was for their protection, yet the cost was too great. She was determined then to not let them go ever again. She held her daughter even closer, oh so willing to give her the reunion she never had with her own mother, “Oh, Kara. My angel.”

Kara squeezed her mother hard. Her curled blonde hair fell in front of her face, covering the tears in her blue eyes. She let herself cry, however. Alex did as well. Both were overcome with emotion. They were conflicted feelings, yet it wasn’t the hurt they had felt throughout the years. It was a sense of relief. And it was such powerful love that it was almost too much. Alex eventually pulled away just enough to look at her daughter. She had grown into a perfect young woman, she knew that immediately. She was also extremely proud of her, especially when Kara’s thoughts turned towards the others, “Jamie and Ollie! And Dad!”

“We’re here,” Sean ran up to them, James and Oliver right on his heels. While Alex instantly grabbed her sons, Sean pulled his daughter into a strong embrace. They whispered loving words to their children, not sure how they could contain their excitement. Their family was back together again. It probably wasn’t the best time, with the Shop still out there and an active mission to complete. But they were embracing and laughing like everything was alright once more. It took Sean and Alex a moment to remember just exactly what was occurring. They were so caught up with one another, they almost forgot what they were doing- almost. The two and their team were running an op. So were their kids, apparently, and they didn’t seem to have been alone, “Are the others here too?”

“Except Felicity. She’s on coms. Is everyone with you too?” Alex and Sean wanted to smile and giggle. Years later, and the triplets continued to echo one another as they talked, building off of each other’s sentence with their own. However, the situation was far too serious for that. They weren’t all together, and Kara, Oliver, and James needed to know that. The three took the news of Owen’s betrayal fairly well. They were livid of course, but they weren’t rushing off recklessly as their parents had done. Alex felt a surge of pride and love at the fact that her children had grown to become better than her. That was all she could’ve asked for, and it came true. They might have still been in danger, yet they were awesome and indestructible. And they were going to be together as a family from then on. 

“Alright. Listen up jackasses. We’re combining efforts. Fletch and the Birkhoffs are our eyes in the sky. Pierces are team B. Ovechkins are joining the Mears-Bishops for team A,” Pj’s commanding voice through the coms startled everyone and brought them harshly back to reality. She was left on coms as Nikita was busy confirming details with Ryan back at their temporary ops center, and Michael was overwhelmed with reuniting with his son. Neither Michael nor Max thought they would ever reunite. Yet there father and son were, holding each other with the intention to never let go again. Later, the whole family would sit down and talk about everything. They had to. But for the moment, Pj laid out the rash and insane battle plan. She spoke quickly and efficiently, leaving no room for questions about the play, “Any objections?”

“A lot. But you’re never gonna listen to me,” James chuckled. Alex noticed the bright spark in her son’s hazel eyes, and the even brighter smile on his lips. She glanced at her husband, but Sean was just as confused. On the other hand, Kara and Oliver rolled their blue eyes; that appeared to be something they were annoyingly used to. It stung to realize she didn’t know every single thing about her children anymore. But that was something Alex could fix- once they all saved the world and brought each other home for good. 

Pj smirked. Nikita noticed the bright glint in her daughter’s green eyes, and the crooked smile on her lips. She glanced at her husband, but Michael was just as confused. On the other hand, Max rolled his dark eyes; that appeared to be something he was annoyingly used to. Pj nudged her brother playfully for his reaction, making him try to nudge back before she bounced away. The sight of the two so comfortable in their sibling roles lifted their parents’ hearts. It was something they had never imagined would happen. They thought the two would have been separated forever, a curse of their parents’ enemies. But they were together and genuinely cared for one another. It was a miracle to Nikita, Michael, and Cassandra. Pj brought them all back to the situation at hand, however, a quip as her final say in the matter, “Attaboy. Okay, everybody. Ready. Spaghetti. Go.”


	12. Chapter 11

Was it okay to think that everything she ever wanted felt strange. Granted, they were trying to hunt down and stop a member of their own team from selling them out. Yet Pj’s mom and dad were with her. Her brother got to meet their dad for real that time, and had his mom by his side. Everyone was with their family again. However, they knew their parents didn’t want them there. They weren’t angry with their children, just the situation. They shouldn’t have been on a dangerous mission against the Shop. That was the reason they had all left, after all. Their frustrations were palpable. It clouded their reunion.

Not enough to ruin their hugs or smiles, but definitely enough to make their plans rushed and reckless. Pj wanted to say something to lighten the tension. They were searching the junkyard at the moment, she could make a joke. Max appeared to be able to tell she was going to tease; he shot her a look to quiet her. It didn’t work, but she was silent anyway. What could she have said. How did people just fall back into normal. It was awkward and strange, and it honestly made her feel anxious. There seemed to be a wall built between her and her parents. They were together in the same place, but they weren't- well- together.

It didn’t help that Cassandra was part of their ‘A team’. Pj had nothing against her; she simply didn’t know her. All she had to go off of were Max’s stories. That wasn’t much. So the five of them- Ovechkins and Mears-Bishops- were left stalking through the yard in complete silence. The Pierce family wasn’t fairing any better. They were also strangely quiet. All that could be heard from the Birkhoffs was typing, yet who knew if that was them talking or hacking. Maybe they could blame it all on the mission. Everyone was stressed and exhausted. Once they completed the op, they’d be able to talk.

Except, Pj still had to debrief with her team about the months she was rogue. They had to discuss everything they had found and done. It was possible they could involve their parents in that. Sharing intel, resources, and all of that was incredibly important. That was basically the first step in combining forces. Pj felt strung out, though. She didn’t think she’d have the energy to go over everything. She hadn’t slept since before her fights at that underground ring. She should’ve, but the images of torturing the manager tortured her. Wait. Had it only been a day. Had so much shit happened in just two nights. The realization made her want to scream. She barely processed anything that had occurred. How was she even supposed to. 

Normal people didn’t have to deal with what she had to. She could’ve had that life, should’ve had that life. Instead she was fighting a war her mother had started years before she was even born. It could’ve been seen as tragic; the sins of the mother reflected on the innocent child. It was just frustrating. Pj wanted so badly to scream, let it all out. But that wouldn’t solve anything. Taking down the Shop might. After all, that was the dream. They end the war and everything would be perfect- normal.

Pj couldn’t afford to think about it. Her adrenaline keeping her awake could only get her as far as the op. They had to find Owen- Sam- whatever the fuck his name was. What the hell had even happened. Her parents didn’t tell her much, there was no time. All she knew was Ryan had joined them at their safehouse and Owen had turned against them. That partially explained why Ryan and Owen had been radio silent since their last mission. The rest of the story must have been tied to the whole ‘Sam’ thing. Something went down on that mission of theirs. What exactly terrified her. How badly could an op have gone if a member of their family decided to sell their secrets. Was the Shop capable of horrors she couldn’t even imagine.

That had to have been the case. Owen wasn’t himself- obviously if he was going by the name Sam Matthews. Their enemies were controlling him, somehow. Pj wouldn’t accept any other explanation. The man who trained her and cared for her wouldn’t simply turn tail and run. He looked after the kids while the others were away. That kind of sacrifice had to have meant something. He was their family, he couldn’t sell their information. It was unthinkable. It was impossible. It had to be the Shop’s fault. The organization had already taken so much from the family, what was one more tragedy.

Although the Mears-Bishops and Ovechkins were supposed to be watching for their opponents, Pj kept glancing over at Michael and Nikita. She was somewhat afraid to lose them again, that the second her eyes left them they would disappear. She knew that wasn’t going to happen, not if her parents could help it; they were beyond determined to keep their family together forever. She mostly kept staring at her mom and dad to settle herself. While she was emotionally frayed, they remained strong and steady. She didn’t know how they did it- how could they compartmentalize like that. It was probably something they had trained themselves to do to survive the day. Pj would’ve loved to develop that skill immediately.

She knew she was unfit for the mission. Her lack of sleep should’ve kept her at the safehouse with Felicity and Missy. She was also so drastically emotionally compromised she couldn’t think straight. Pj had to remind herself that they all were. All of their thoughts and feelings had been through the wringer that night. What a bunch of spies they were. What was it that she had heard once: check your feelings at the door or check out. The team really had failed at that hadn’t they. They were an emotional mess. One could argue having such feelings got them that far in the crusade. But another could argue that was why it lasted for so goddamn long. It was almost as though they couldn’t do anything right. Wins were always balanced out by losses. Where was the end in sight they kept desperately searching for.

A deep breath didn’t do anything for Pj. She clutched her gun even tighter, and tensed her shoulders for a fight. Noticing her stress, her dad shifted closer to ease her. She was surprised that his presence worked. Her grip loosened and her breath came steadier. Even after ten years Michael could calm his daughter instantly; it really was his gift when it came to the Mears women. Pj smiled softly. She remembered having pretty awful nightmares as a kid. And every single time she bolted awake and tearfully ran to her parents’ room, her dad was there to comfort her. He never griped about it; he simply held her and talked to her. When she started to fall back asleep, he’d move to return her to her bed. But then her mom would pull them back, and she spent the night securely in their arms.

It wasn’t often. Yet it was enough times that when her parents were gone, she was sorely affected (in more ways than one). Pj had more or less learned how to deal with her nightmares on her own. She thought she had learned how to deal with everything on her own. However, it never worked as well. She had the other kids, at least. And she had her brother. They supported one another. They weren’t as alone as they felt, especially at night when the nightmares became too much. Since they started to follow in their parents’ footsteps, the bad dreams only increased. Pj was sure that wasn’t going to go away. Their crusade had an everlasting effect.

Fresh images of torturing the fighting ring manager invaded her mind, as her thoughts jumped from one topic to the next. Exhaustion was going to drag her down to sleep that night, she knew it. But she also knew it wasn’t going to be peaceful. Pj had done a lot of things that haunted her, yet the manager was different. She became someone else in that backroom; someone she never wanted to be again. However, she wasn’t sure if she could keep herself under control. There was a darkness inside her, one she inherited from her mother. It couldn’t have been true; Owen was confused when he had mentioned it to Ryan. Deep down, she knew he was right though.

Pj wanted her enemies to burn. Every last one of them needed to feel her wrath and suffer indescribable pain. She had inflicted as much, with torture and death. The Shop had to know how furious she was that they took her family from her. They were going to face vengeance and destruction in every form. She tried not to feel that strongly. Her team found more constructive ways to face their opponents. She attempted to follow them, but she was never any good at following orders. She was consumed by the hatred she felt for the Shop. How could she have fought through that.

Her mom could’ve held the answers. Nikita seemed to be able to soldier on past her pain. However, one glance at her changed Pj’s mind. That atrocious pig mask was covering her features once again. All of their parents were wearing masks to hide themselves; the pig mask was the stand out, making Nikita the bait to follow. Her daughter understood the need to hide from the Shop. That was why they had codenames and wore dark clothing and baseball caps out in the field. Yet the pig mask idea was reckless. She was going to get hurt playing bait. 

Nikita didn’t appear to have been concerned about that. She was becoming desperate, willing to do absolutely anything to end that fucking war and go home. The burned and horrifying rubber pig mask almost exemplified that. It had been abandoned and nearly destroyed, yet it survived. Despite everything, it was going to be at the end of the crusade- just as it was at the beginning. Pj had been terrified about what the Shop did to Owen to make him Sam, yet she should’ve been more afraid of what her mom was going to do to Sam for his betrayal. Mostly because she was certain she was going to do the same.

It only took a couple of minutes for the Pierces to find the potential information buyer. And it didn’t take the Mears-Bishops and Ovechkins much longer to find Owen. They backed him into a corner, guns raised and positioned so he had no escape. He didn’t seem bothered. It was as though he were expecting the situation. He did flinch when Nikita and that damned pig mask approached him. But he cast his eyes to someone else to remain stoic. Unfortunately, he focused on Pj. One glance at her, and he became apologetic. Facing his masked former team was one thing, but facing the kids hurt him. Pj considered that a good thing. He should feel ashamed. 

The plan was to interrogate the assholes on sight. Transferring them held more cons than pros. Besides with the Birkhoffs combined efforts, their jamming field should hold airtight. It was time to get answers for everything. Pj could start to relax and her raging thoughts could finally calm. She hoped that would be the case anyway. Everything she ever wanted continued to feel strange to her. It really was going to get worse before it got better. Things just had to get better soon.


	13. Chapter 12

“Talk motherfucker,” Once Owen- Sam- was shoved to the ground and tied up, Nikita violently pistol whipped him. The blow to his head shook him up, yet he never tore his eyes away from Pj. He couldn’t recognize his old team with their masks on, but he noticed Max and Pj despite the baseball caps drawn low over their faces; he had seen them in their mission gear frequently after all. She wished he wouldn’t stare at her, focus on her mom and that horrifying pig mask instead. Nikita out for blood alone would terrify anyone into submission. However, he seemed to be shaken just by Max and Pj. It was almost as though he wasn’t expecting them, he didn’t want them there. Join the club.

“I wasn’t going to sell you out. You would’ve stayed safe,” Owen made the plea to Pj. He sounded sincere. She didn’t know if he meant he wasn’t selling the kids out or their whole family, though. Either way, they wouldn’t be safe. The Shop was still out there, of course danger was going to follow. The fact that Sam was so willing to share information with them didn’t help. It made things worse really. The fight to go back home was never ending. 

“You’re talking to me,” Nikita seethed. She blocked Sam’s view of her daughter, digging the barrel of her gun against his forehead. If he attempted anything against her, Michael and Cassandra were brandishing their weapons as well. He better talk or he’d lose his life. Max and Pj were hesitant in their actions, however. Max was uncomfortable threatening someone he had grown close to. Despite the hurt he felt, there had to have been a better way to get through to Owen; he couldn’t have become their enemy completely. 

Pj, on the other hand, thought there was a more effective way of torture. Owen had always told them he’d rather die than give in to an opponent’s beating. It was something they had to consider if they wanted to be spies as well. That could still be true for Sam. Except, Sam seemed to have been more self-involved than Owen. He might put his life on the line, but not his pride. So Pj approached her mom and lowered her pistol. Not to the ground, but to Sam’s crotch; the threat worked on the manager, so why not him. He did gulp. Yet she didn’t know if it was from the gun’s aim, or how steely calm her voice was, “Why?”

“The money,” It was so sudden, Pj wasn’t sure if it had happened. Nikita shot Owen. He was already on his knees, but he collapsed in pain nonetheless and screamed. Nikita was unfazed, as were Michael and Cassandra. He deserved it. Max was shaken and had to focus himself on the mission. Sam was going to turn on them to their enemy. Their anger and hatred were valid. Squaring her shoulders, Pj took another step towards their captive. Her weapon was steady in her grasp. It was time for answers, “I remembered… who I really am… Owen was weak… and submissive.”

“And Sam’s a little bitch,” Nikita’s voice dripped acid. Pj noticed that she was holding herself back. Her mom was shaking, as if she was ready to pounce on Sam and tear him limb from limb. Shooting his groin was nothing, she would do so much worse when she had the chance. Yet they needed information. That was the important thing. Intel was going to pave their way to victory. No one could jeopardize that. It didn’t matter how furious they were. 

“I’m being smart… This is the only way… to get out of this war… She may have fucked with my mind… in the first place… but Amanda reminded me… what I had to do to survive… You should do the same,” At the mention of Amanda’s name, Michael shot Sam’s shoulder. It was a gut reaction to hearing about the vile woman, which caused Sam to fall completely to the ground. He was groaning and writhing in pain, and losing a lot of blood. No one cared; Max had even stopped giving a shit about Owen. 

They were all aware of Amanda’s mind manipulation, and the ways she could control a person. Apparently, she had done so to Owen a long time ago. Yet somehow, she grabbed him and reversed the process. Instead of attacking the woman who had fucked with him repeatedly, however, he betrayed his team. The logic was flawed. And redemption was going to be impossible, “Shut the fuck up.”

“You know… I’m right… You brought along… an extra team,” Sam was having trouble talking through the pain. The words were harsh and panted. But his meaning was clear- he continued to have no idea that the masked people were his former team. Nikita went to rip off the damned pig mask, reveal just who the hell he had dared cross. However, her daughter stopped her. Pj wanted to keep him in the dark. If he knew he was facing those he had hurt so harshly, he might have become defensive and shut up. Besides, he was attempting to be open with Max and Pj, almost like he was pleading with the siblings to let it all go. They had to save themselves before it was too late. 

Having their parents home with them was the only way they were going to save themselves, however. Pj pulled herself away from Sam, taking Max with her. They would let Michael, Cassandra, and Nikita continue the interrogation. He shouldn’t feel a sense of comfort. If he wanted the peace of mind of the siblings, he had to face their parents first. Roughly, Michael picked him up and slammed him into a pile of junk. His scream of anguish was covered by Nikita’s pistol slamming into his mouth. Cassandra stood by, weapon raised to kill him if he didn’t cooperate. As Michael dug his gun into Sam’s wounded shoulder, Nikita kicked him in his bloody groin, “You’re nothing. Now talk.”

Sam did his best to answer them. His words continued to be broken, but he was managing to grit them out. The intel he was going to sell was only about their operating habits and plans. He wasn’t going to give up personal details. They were unsure whether or not to believe him. Yet their anger wasn’t going to allow them to be rational anyway. They would keep violently drawing information out of him until they were satisfied. Who knew when they would be satisfied, however. James’ voice coming through Pj’s com did eventually make her pull her attention away. The Pierces must’ve gotten something from the buyer, “Hey. It’s just us.”

“What’s wrong?” Pj had to stop herself from rushing off to meet him. James had his family with him; if he was in trouble, he would have them to help. Although she felt the constant desire to, she didn’t need to always protect him. The fact that they were speaking privately on the coms worried her, though. It wasn’t normal for them to do so. Something had to have been wrong. 

“It’s too easy,” James expressed what that was simply. Pj nearly laughed. Nothing about their op was easy. Going through so many emotions on so little sleep took a lot out of her. There was even a part of her that was suffering at seeing Owen tortured. She was so goddamn tired. She was beyond ecstatic to have her parents back, she really was. But she just wanted to go home. She didn’t think she could fight any longer. None of that was easy. 

“I wanna know your definition of hard,” Pj teased instead. She wasn’t going to open up about all of that in the middle of a junkyard while her parents were torturing a man; there was a time and a place for that. Hopefully, her mom and dad would wrap her in their arms and everything would be alright. They could talk and hug without the fear of someone violently interrupting them. They could be a family again. They just had to get through the mission. 

And James had to get through the slight innuendo Pj dropped on the word ‘hard’. He coughed and spluttered, trying to keep his head straight. He wasn't sure if she had meant it or not. Knowing her, however, she probably did it to lighten the tension. That idea backfired. At least for him and the blush creeping up on his cheeks, “No. I mean, the buyer gave up easily. At least compared to the manager.”

“A trap?” Pj snapped her focus back to Sam. He was pale, shaky, and sweaty, yet Nikita kicked him in the crotch again. He yelped and huffed out something else important. Pain was motivating him well; she wouldn’t necessarily say it was simple and planned. However, James’ intuition wasn’t one to be wrong. He had found her while she was rogue, after all. Something suspicious could possibly be occurring. James reminded her that the Shop knew their moms had raided the underground fighting ring. They could’ve been expecting Alex and Nikita to shake them down, so they led the two to the junkyard. With that idea in mind, Pj definitely saw the suspicion, “And the manager thought I was Nikita… I would’ve stayed safe how?”

“What?” Her sudden question confused Sam. He had assumed she was done interrogating him, yet she was stomping back towards him, livid. Pj pushed aside Cassandra, Michael, and Nikita, leaving the beaten man to herself. He was relieved for half a second; the torture must’ve been over. However, Pj surprised him. She surprised everyone. Her knife was in her hand in an instant, and she jammed it into the gunshot wound on Sam’s shoulder. He howled in pain, but she ignored him. She slashed at the muscles and tendons, until his arm was nearly amputated. Michael had to pull his daughter off of the man for fear that she would go too far. They needed him alive. And they needed him sane. 

“Is this a trap for Nikita?” Pj fought against her dad, biting and snarling. Sam couldn’t argue against her. He weakly nodded and mumbled something about how the payout and the chance to finally escape the war was too great. But what was the point, to his knowledge she hadn’t even shown up. He also let them know that he didn’t want the kids to get hurt. It wasn’t about them, only the original team. Michael let go of his daughter, menacingly stalking towards the traitor. Nikita beat him to it; she gave in to her urge to tear him to shreds. While Max hurriedly informed the others about the revelation, the longtime rogue nearly beat her former partner to death. 

Michael and Pj made no move to stop Nikita. Her actions were sound. Eventually, Cassandra had to be the one to get her to cease. She convinced her that leaving him a failure to the Shop would be the better punishment. Slowly, Nikita left Sam to his cruel fate; he had to suffer for his sins. As the ‘A team’ was starting to consider their escape, frantic nerd voices came through the coms. All three Birkhoffs had discovered something, “Uh, guys. There’s some bogeys on your six. The cavalry is coming.” 


	14. Chapter 13

Everything happened in an instant. Pj blamed her shock. She wasn’t shocked about the Shop crashing the party; she had almost expected that. She wasn’t shocked about Owen’s betrayal; she was just hurt. And she wasn’t shocked about finally reuniting with her parents; she was relieved and ecstatic. No, she was shocked about what she had done. Not simply surprised or even frightened by her actions, but in shock. Her body was trembling, her heart was racing, her breaths were erratic, and her mind couldn’t process a thing. She couldn’t believe she had let that thing she had been holding back take control of her. She was vicious and cruel- the monster she always feared she was. Owen’s blood covered her hands, and it wasn’t going to come off easily.

Pj somehow managed to follow Max out of the junkyard. Vaguely, she recalled her parents swearing to rendezvous with them at her safehouse in a couple of hours. She was mostly focused on getting to their getaway vehicle before she collapsed. If she could focus at all. Her thoughts and senses were splintered. She kept hearing Owen’s screams. He wasn’t Owen, though. He was Sam. She had to remind herself of that. Sam turned on them. Sam was planning on killing her mother. What she had done was justified. Or at least rational. Regardless, she still felt like throwing up and sobbing.

Everyone escaped the junkyard without problem. It seemed that way to Pj at least, as Felicity led them out of there. Her exhaustion either made her shock worse, or she was more fucked up than she thought. She wasn’t completely sure how all of them got into the car. But she was in the backseat with Oliver and James, while Kara sped off and Max shouted directions. Pj tried to settle herself, placing her head between her knees. The next thing she knew, however, was arriving at her safehouse. James had wrapped his jacket around her, and Oliver had removed the weapons she had clutched in her hands. She blinked sleep out of her green eyes, striving to adjust. Again, she blamed her shock. It caused her to collapse in exhaustion and not register a thing. But she could shake it off then. She could keep moving forward.

The team waited until they climbed the stairs and put their gear away before talking. It was some vain attempt to collect their thoughts and emotions. They were ragged and torn, and just needed a goddamn minute. Crumbled into piles on the floor, petting and scratching Missy’s fur, the team broke down what had happened on the mission. They avoided discussing their parents and Sam. It was too much. Instead, Max honed in on where they got the intel for the information leak, “What contact, Pj? Who told you?”

“We overheard it. Ben’s boss told these two women,” Pj’s voice didn’t sound like her own as she responded. She thought the sleep she caught in the car would’ve done her some good. If not that, then scrubbing the blood off her hands and petting her dog should’ve fixed things. She should’ve felt better. Something inside her still felt empty, though. She couldn’t look at her team, and she could barely speak. All she could do was stare at the floor, gripping tight to Missy.

“Who?” Trying to get her to look her in the eye, Kara scooter closer to Pj. She was soft and gentle in her approach. Yet all she got was an absentminded shrug in response. She glanced at Max for an explanation. She, Oliver, James, and Felicity had no idea what happened to the Mears-Bishops and Ovechkins out there. Dealing with the buyer was simple for the Pierces; he gave up his information, and they took him out of the problem. And the Birkhoffs could secure a hack in their sleep. They didn’t have to grapple with Owen/Sam, however. That range of emotions was a hellscape they hadn’t even begun to experience yet. 

Max was still trying to process all of that shit himself. He understood why Pj had shut down. Witnessing Owen like that and seeing his sister and their parents go feral, he was so close to shutting down as well. So he didn’t push her. He let her slowly gather her thoughts until she was ready to share them. Distancing herself like that was how she was coping, “Probably Mom and Alex.”

“Alright. But who’s Ben? What boss?” Kara clarified. The team never got the chance to ask how their parents had also discovered the information leak. Although, it made sense that they had gotten it from the same source. Once tails could be successfully shaken loose and resources were gathered, their parents would meet back up with them. They’d be reunited; every question would have an answer. The team just had to collect themselves first. They were still healing after Pj’s rogue stint after all.

“Triad,” Was the only explanation Pj could give. She didn’t have the boss’ name. And she honestly didn’t want to delve into her working relationship with the Triad. It was beneficial at the time. She got information, and was able to create her own ‘wall of crazy’. She got far in her fight going solo like she had. But she was going to need everyone if she was going to bring it all home. Even in her shocked state, she was able to recognize that. 

“You trusted the Triad?” Oliver was too tired to shoot to his feet, but he did stare at Pj bewildered. She barely lifted her shoulders into another shrug. She didn’t understand why they were so focused on the past. They needed to keep pushing forward. They had their parents, and some kind of money trail on the Shop to follow. She and her connections didn’t matter. 

At least not to Pj. Her team, however, was concerned. The Triad wasn’t a reliable source; they were a criminal organization. They could’ve been corrupted by the Shop, and gave them a bad tip. Oliver, Max, Kara, and Felicity were about to admonish Pj about that. Not like it would’ve worked. She was too far gone to listen to them. James decided to settle everyone. He had met Ben. It was brief, but he could tell he cared about Pj. They could trust him. Besides, the two of them only went to the Triad because of the black book they recovered, “Look. The intel has been solid. And we found the lead on the info leak in the black book.”

“Let me see it,” Felicity had heard some black books were on flashdrives. If it was electronic, she could work her tech magic on it. Except, Pj didn’t move from her spot. James had to be the one to grab the drive and hand it over. He wished she would open up and talk with them. The team could help her through her shock. He could help her. They were all reeling, they’d understand what she was thinking. 

Yet Pj was trying so desperately not to think. Take down the Shop, follow that money trail, kill Amanda, go home. That was all she would allow herself to think. Focus on the present and future, not the past- not what she did to Owen -Sam- whatever the fuck his name was. She had to breathe. Petting Missy helped to keep her in the moment. If only her mind wasn’t a tortuous thing. It replayed Sam’s screams, and the confession that he planned on killing her mom. He was going to let the shop kill his friend, “A long planned trap.”

“What?” Max hardly heard the mutter. The blood was off of Pj’s hands, but he noticed she continued to glance at them. He didn’t blame her for her actions. He had wanted to hurt Sam too after he admitted to selling out his team. She and Nikita were right to punish him for his actions. If only they could stop thinking of him as Owen. They didn’t leave Owen for dead, it was Sam. He was Sam. As soon as they thought like that, they wouldn’t be so shaken. That felt like it was going to take forever, though.

“It wasn’t spur of the moment. Shop planned this,” Pj explained. James was correct back at the junkyard. It was all too easy. Discovering the leads and Sam’s betrayal shouldn’t have been handed to them like that. With the Shop they had to sacrifice everything for an advantage. Instead, it was given to them almost effortlessly. They wanted them to know about the information leak. Well, not them exactly- their parents. 

“These black books are updated regularly. If they expected Nikita to grab this, they could’ve baited her,” Building off of Pj’s point, Felicity added what she knew about the Shop’s not so little book of secrets. It was possible the group had tracked their parents’ movements and laid out a trap for all of them. Their enemies would’ve been taken out in one swoop. They even used one of their own against them. The plan must’ve been a long term gambit with Owen/Sam involved. Unfortunately, the Shop had the patience to wait it out.

“They did. The manager messed up,” Pj mumbled. James helped her expand upon that, explaining what had occurred at the underground fighting ring. In hindsight, it was a good thing they had missed Alex and Nikita. They were able to get the intel instead, and meet them on the mission. Everyone was reunited and more or less safe. Their parents still found out about the info leak and about Sam. But that had more to do with Ryan. He was always able to catch onto the Shop’s plans. The team would be useless without him.

They were beginning to believe they’d be useless without Owen as well. He trained them, took care of them, helped them. He was at the beginning of the war with Nikita. She had saved him. No one could wrap their heads around his motivation for betrayal. So what his mind was altered. That was Amanda’s fault, not theirs. And they wanted out of that fight too, but money wasn’t going to get them there. Their family would. Kara did her best to swallow down her tears as she asked, “How did they turn Owen?”

“Amanda,” The venom in Pj’s voice appeared to have broken her out of her fog. She was livid. But not at Sam anymore. She was going to make Amanda pay for every single fucking thing she had done to her family. Oliver and Max matched her anger, glad to have someone they could focus all of their complicated emotions on. Felicity dug into the electronic black book, hoping for anything on Amanda. It was a long shot, but one worth pursuing. And Kara fought back her tears, determined to come up with a game plan. They could take the intel they had and use it to end their war once and for all.

James, on the other hand, was attempting to look to the positives. Yes, he hated Amanda with every ounce of his being. Yet their team wasn’t going to have to go it alone any longer. They could rely on others. They had the best support system in the world back in their lives, “We have our parents again. We can work together.”

Something about that made Pj bolt out of the room, Missy on her heels. Tears overcame her, and she had to get out of there. She wouldn’t let the others see her breakdown. Breakdown over what, however, she had no idea. She thought it was her mom and dad. She was glad they had returned to her. Yet she was terrified for what they thought about her actions. Like she told James, she was supposed to have had better. She wasn’t supposed to have been like her mom and dad. And yet, she had the same darkness as Nikita. That alone had her running to the roof to hide. She couldn’t imagine how disappointed her parents must’ve been with how she turned out.

Sobbing over pretty much everything wore her out. Pj was glad no one had followed her (James had tried, but Max said they needed to give her space). She didn’t want her friends to see her so broken. She had to remain strong. She couldn’t let it all weigh her down; she had to continue to fight in every sense of the word. Exhaustion dragged her back into sleep, however. Missy curled tight to her while she slumped against a wall and passed out. She wasn’t sure how long she was asleep, but she was tired enough not to notice steps coming up the stairs. Until the intruder had joined her on the roof, she was unaware of their presence. Missy woke Pj with a startled bark. She readied herself to fight as quickly as she could with sleep numb limbs.

“Shh. Sweetie. It’s just us,” With gentle hands and a soft voice, Nikita calmed Pj. She took a moment to register what was going on. Her mom and dad were standing in front of her, smiling past their strain and exhaustion. They made it. They really were back. Pj crashed into them, fresh tears in her green eyes. Her mom and dad returned the hug without hesitation. Missy tried to join in, earning herself some distracted pets. How could they focus on anything else when they had the time to embrace and never let go.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Soon, Pj expressed her hurt through a quiet sob. However, all of those terrible thoughts didn’t have a chance to torment her again. Nikita and Michael held their daughter tighter, whispering their love and support. What she had done to Sam didn’t change how they saw her. To them, she was still perfect. 

Nikita emphasized the point by referencing her own darkness and how she had battled past it for all those years. She had her family to help her see the light, just as her daughter did, “Yes you did. I did too. But that doesn't matter. Nothing matters but us right now.”


	15. Chapter 14

Nikita couldn’t stop thinking about the damn circle of life song. As they approached the loft- her first safehouse in that fucking war- she couldn’t stop thinking about how different it should’ve been. She shouldn’t have ever seen that place again after blowing it up. She shouldn’t have been continuously on the run from Amanda and the Shop. She shouldn’t have been betrayed by a friend. Instead, she should’ve been at some little beach house with her husband and daughter, living a peaceful and free life. But history kept repeating itself. It was as though she was trapped in a never ending circle. The team won and lost and won and lost. There didn’t seem to be an end. And then their children were trapped in the same hell.

She always knew her daughter was just like her. Nikita could see herself and Michael reflected so strongly in Pj. Their daughter was perfect; there was no denying that. She just wished she had better. Pj should’ve had the happy life Nikita was denied. That was what she had been fighting so hard for. Her daughter deserved the entire world. Unfortunately, her entire world had been distorted by the Shop. She was dragged into a war that started before she was born. Hell, it was started before her parents were even together. It wasn’t fair. All that hurt and sorrow should’ve been kept from her. Nikita thought that was what she and Michael were doing by leaving. They could protect their daughter from all that cruelty. They just led Pj down that path, however.

They didn’t know what to expect once they finally reached the loft. The team was oh so willing to embrace their children again, and actually have the time to talk with them. Yet after Sam, what kind of hurt emotions were they going to have to sift through. Apparently not much. Their kids were dead asleep as they arrived. They startled at the sound of their parents, but soon settled; there was no need to worry, they would be safe. Nikita and Michael were worried when they couldn’t find Pj with the others, though. The two couldn’t bear to think that something had happened to her. Fortunately, she was just sleeping upstairs with her dog (the same dog that bit Alex- Nikita was excited to see that reencounter). She readied for a fight when they woke her. However, once they smiled at her she collapsed into their arms.

Holding her daughter as she cried, Nikita’s heart broke. She thought she could’ve protected her from everything. She was from then on, though. She swore that Pj would never be hurt ever again. Michael made the same promise. Their family wasn’t going to suffer any longer. They were going to defeat the evil and bring everyone home. All of them had made mistakes they needed to atone for. But they could do so together. For the moment, however, the whole team needed to discuss things. After comforting each other, the Mears-Bishops moved downstairs to join the others. Embraces and loving words were shared all around. Everyone was so relieved to reunite (Alex even liked Missy since she wasn’t snapping at her). But they had to talk. They so desperately needed to talk to one another.

Children and parents sat around the makeshift living room, discussing how they knew about the information leak; it was the easiest topic to start with. Ryan had known where his team was hiding out, so he ran to them the instant Owen was turned to Sam. He told them of the betrayal, forcing Alex and Nikita to crash a suspected Shop network to steal a black book. When that failed, they turned to their Triad contacts. The story went over well with their kids. But the second they shared that Pj had first gone rogue, Nikita snapped at Ryan, “My daughter went rogue and you didn’t say anything?”

“I thought she’d return while I was gone. James went after her,” Ryan tried to defend himself. It was of no use. Nikita and Michael were shocked and livid at the danger, shouting about it. Sean and Birkhoff were holding back laughter- like mother, like daughter. Sonya and Cassandra attempted to keep the peace, while their kids sat in silence. They knew they couldn’t say anything to fix that. 

“You went rogue too?” Alex added to the fire by addressing her son. Out of her three kids, James was the last she’d expect to go rogue; she also hadn’t expected him to grow out his hair and sport scruff on his cheeks. Kara and Oliver began to tease their brother, however. He hadn’t actually gone against his team, he had just followed a girl. James fought his blush at the comment, and Max glanced at Pj to see if she had the same look. She simply rolled her eyes. 

“No. Jamie’s too much of a Boy Scout. Besides, I did more than okay on my own,” Indicating the pile of intel and evidence she had collected, Pj smirked. Ryan stopped defending himself to study it over; he was impressed. They all were. 

Except that wasn’t the point. Pj should’ve known better than to have run off, despite her parents doing the same. She was lucky enough to have her friends chase after her. But she needed to realize they all had to be alive at the end of their crusade. That was the only way they could all get home. Michael was stern as he turned towards his daughter and repeated words he was sure he had said to her mother, “It’s not about that.”

“Told you,” Max muttered to his sister. Pj nudged him in retaliation. Michael’s lecture was lost on his son and daughter bickering. He wasn’t as annoyed over it; he was glad the two got along so well. Then wasn’t the time for them to fight, however. Nikita and Cassandra snapped at them to settle down. Maybe not that much had changed over the ten years. At least on the surface. 

“You wanna say that to my ‘wall of crazy’, Maxi-Pad,” Full of snark and confidence, Pj made everyone study her progress. Nikita didn’t want to even consider what she had done to get all of that intel. Neither did Michael. Their daughter was already too much like them. All they could do was examine her intel to not let their decisions overwhelm them.

The parent team- they probably needed a better way of differentiating the teams- added their own information to what their children had gathered. There was a lot to sort through. Ryan was making quick work of that, while Birkhoff and Sonya worked with Felicity on the electronic files. More gaps had to be filled in before everyone else could completely understand, however. Sean brought them back to the matter at hand as he summed up what his kids told him, “Let’s refocus. You got your intel from Triad and black books.”

“Yes. So far we’ve stolen two black books,” Kara gave a quick rundown of the first mission to get a black book. She still didn’t know about the second book, that was Pj’s op. But she explained their leads, how they acquired the electronic drive, and their fight afterwards. Amused glances shot to Nikita as they processed the news. She ignored them. Besides, based off of James’ need to follow Pj, how Kara shared information, Oliver’s eye rolls, Max’s attitude about being reckless, and Felicity’s boasting over her hacks, she could shoot Sean, Alex, Michael, Cassandra, Sonya, and Birkhoff the same looks. Their kids took after them in more than just appearance. They could discuss that later.

“Technically, I stole them,” Pj briefly described grabbing the latest black book with James. She didn’t delve deeply into it, only that she could take her friend in a fight with one arm behind her back. James battled the blush creeping on his cheeks remembering what happened after their sparring. Their parents wanted to ask what exactly was occurring between them. They also wondered about how close Kara and Max sat next to each other, and the gazes shared between Oliver and Felicity. The kids had always been close, yet that seemed different. 

“We get it. Your way worked better than ours,” However, Oliver started an argument. Pj was proud of herself, as her team got onto her for doing something dangerous. Although Nikita agreed with that sentiment, she supported her daughter; sometimes, being a rogue worked. That caused her team to get involved. They were all shouting and bickering, years of anguish coming loose. There was no stopping the flow, but maybe they shouldn’t. With their emotions out in the open, parents and kids could move on together. They’d be able to heal as one. For the moment, it was sibling against sibling, parent against child, and spouse against spouse. Once they finally put voice to all their thoughts, they’d refocus and become stronger than ever.

Missy didn’t know what to do with herself. She wanted to protect Pj, but the yelling was too much. She stood by her owner, waiting for it to be over. Fortunately, James put an end to it soon. He reached for Pj and pulled up her shirt revealing her bruised ribs. She fought him off of her. Although he landed harshly on his ass, his point was made. The room fell deadly silent at her injuries and his hurt voice, “Being a rogue doesn’t save anyone.”

“Who the hell hurt you?” Michael approached his daughter, livid. Not at Pj, never at her. He was ready to tear whoever hurt her limb from limb. Nikita expressed the same feeling, though she approached gently to tend to the injury. The anger in the room shifted from hurt feelings and one another, to their enemies. Their own decisions led them to where they were. But the Shop was the one to hurt them repeatedly. It was time to get their shit together and defeat the evil once and for all. 

“I worked at the fighting ring. Triad got me in,” Pj lost her bragging edge. She didn’t mention winning her fights and earning much needed cash. With the concern her parents were showing, it wasn’t the time. She’d let them take care of her, and be a tad more compliant when relaying information. 

“You were there that night?” Nikita struggled to not overthink. Pj explained she had gotten the black book from a manager; of course it was the one from the underground ring. She followed the intel she found straight to them. However, Nikita didn’t want to think about her daughter being there during her and Alex’s raid. She didn’t want to think about the missed opportunity to hold her tightly and never let go. And she definitely didn’t want to think about how close she was to the danger. 

Instead, Nikita listened to Pj and James give more details of their op. The manager returned to the room, and after some persuasion gave them the book. He had assumed Pj was her mother at first, however; it was as though he wanted Nikita to come back for the intel. The children then explained how they knew Sam was meant to set a trap for his team. The black book was intended to be stolen- there was false information on it. The junkyard meet was nothing but a set up. It was possible it was a good thing they all went to the triad for information. They were able to get the same details. Alex expressed that with a shrug and a small smile, “I guess it’s a good thing we’re so alike.”

“I don’t know. It’s kinda annoying,” Birkhoff playfully nudged at his daughter. Giggles filled the room. Lightness came back, and smiles were easily shared between everyone. Only great things would happen from there on. That should’ve been true. Families and teams were reunited, and they were working together to be better. They were able to joke and tease. Things were looking up. 

“Then we should be enough to take down the Shop,” More determined than she had ever been, Sonya replied. That motivated Pj to excitedly share her fund idea. Take away the Shop’s money, and their whole organization would crumble. Felicity added to her point with things she had uncovered. Kara also revealed her more succinct plan of action, while Max, James, and Oliver supplied their own opinions. Their parents were impressed. Though, they did have to refine the idea a bit so it wasn’t so rash. 

“Then we kill Amanda. And go home,” Nikita wrapped the scheme up. That was their mission plan, and they would be no deviation. No one was going to disagree. It was all they had wanted for years- since the beginning of that damned crusade. It was about time they finally got what they wanted. They deserved to.

Alex, however, mentioned a thought running through a lot of their minds. What did they do once they got home. They had been running for so long. They didn’t know how to settle down. It was said jokingly, a reference to something Nikita said once, but her sentiment was clear. Then what, “And do that security firm thing?”

“Home and work together,” Michael suggested simply. It wasn’t so much a question for him. He didn’t want to leave his team. Leave the spy life, absolutely. But his team was his extended family. He’d have his son and daughter, his wife, and all of his friends by his side. That was an easy choice to make. Nikita and Pj agreed. The two shared a glance and a bright smile. There they went, off to save the world as one big happy family. Sure, there were still things that needed discussing and healing from. But they were ready to face it all together. 

“Then we got something to focus on. Home together.”


	16. Chapter 15

“Hey, Mom,” Pj and Missy found Nikita on another floor of the loft, staring out a window. After both teams came up with plans and talked about the last ten years, they decided to rest for the day. It had been hell, and they needed to catch up on their sleep. They also needed a moment to breathe and settle. They could spend time with one another before rushing off towards home; they could be that great, big, crazy family for just a second. It was nice, despite the uncertainty of their future looming over them. And despite one of their members missing from their team.

“Hey, Bug. What’s up?” Nikita pulled her daughter into a tight hug. Everyone had embraced each other several times since they had reunited. The family had the freedom to hold tight and never let go again. It helped to dispel harsh feelings, and ensured that they could have that happily ever after promised to them. Pj found it a little sappy, but she loved it anyway. She felt safe and secure. Her smiles and laughter were definitely brighter. 

“Nothing. Just wanted to hear you say ‘Bug’,” It was a stupid, silly nickname- some broken down form of ‘stinker’. Yet Pj didn’t care. Hearing her mother call her that again made her grin brilliantly. Nikita copied the smile, and squeezed even tighter. Just like her owner, Missy loved all of the hugs being passed around. She sat patiently for the attention to be turned to her, and she received the best pets and praises. She was becoming increasingly spoiled with all of the people around. No dog would have ever complained about that.

“How’re you feeling?” The whole group decided to push serious topics to a later date. Instead, the stories they told were light and playful. Nikita was aware her daughter was consumed by certain thoughts, however. It was hard not to be with all of the things they had done, and abandoning Owen/Sam in the junkyard. There were also anxieties about merging their teams together as they moved forward against the Shop. Those anxieties were mostly shared by Nikita and her team. They knew what their children were capable of (the kids and Ryan had assured them), but they continued to be frightful of the danger. That was a feeling that was probably never going to go away. 

“Tired,” Pj admitted, slumping against the wall and sitting. Missy joined her, as did her mom. Nikita nodded in agreement, reaching to scratch the dog’s fur. Although there was an attempt to catch up on sleep, not many actually did. They were either over excited about being reunited, or hesitant about the nightmares they knew were going to come. Either way, the family spent the majority of their time talking rather than doing anything else. 

“Let’s talk about something else then. I like that you kids are so close. Especially you and your brother,” Nikita always loved how close the children were. They grew up together, treating each other like best friends and family. It made her heart swell, knowing the family she had built around herself continued to be strong and powerful. And the fact that Max and Pj were able to come together was a miracle. They two actually got to be siblings.

“Yeah. It was strange with Max at first. I’m glad he and Cassandra joined, but finding out about them was weird,” Cassandra’s and Michael’s wars had kept them apart for most of their lives. Pj and Max didn’t even know about one another until their parents had to leave to keep them safe. Them being a secret from one another was also to keep them safe. However, the two were stronger together- even if they annoyed each other to no end. 

“Tell me about it. But we made it work,” Two undercover agents sleeping together for information and producing a child was beyond weird. Yet Max was so loved and adored, that it didn’t matter how he came to be. Besides, all of the other kids were complete accidents as well; none of them were planned. They were happy accidents, though- completely wonderful and loved more than they’d ever know. Thinking about the others, Nikita decided to fish for information about the budding relationships she noticed. It was shameless, but when did she ever have any shame, “Kara and Max seem to make a lot of things work.”

“Ugh. Don’t make me think about it. They’re so gross now that they’re together. Nerdette and Ollie aren’t much better with their intense flirting,” Pj knew her mom was looking for information, yet she gave it anyway. Why would she hide that from her. There didn’t need to be secrets between any of the family members. Bad decisions had already caused enough hurt. Not keeping anyone in the loop would only add to that.

“What about you and Jamie?” Nudging Pj, Nikita smirked. Those two were definitely not dating, not if those concealed blushes were any indication. She couldn’t help but think of herself and Michael and Alex and Sean at the start of their relationships. Flirty teases, heated looks, and uncertainty were obviously present. It was only a matter of time before they admitted their feelings. 

“Oh. Uh. We’re just… we’ve interacted with other people from school and our adventures outside the safehouse. So it’s not like he’s the only romantic interest I’ve ever had. And it’s not some strange never experienced anything else kinda thing,” The explanation was awkward. Pj knew she felt something for James- something she didn’t have a name for. Yet she wasn’t sure if the feeling was returned. She also didn’t want to be one of those people who fell in love with their teammate. Not that anything was wrong with that. Just with everyone else in her family doing that exact thing, she didn’t want to fall into the pattern, “I don’t know. Is it weird that I want something more normal?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you,” Nikita tried to cover up her laughter. It spilled out of her anyway. Pj glanced at her mother incredulously. She knew normal was a far reach for her, yet so was going home after everything they had done. If they could do that, she could have normal. Her mom wasn’t laughing at that, though. It was easy to forget how life liked to repeat itself, “Do you know anything about Daniel?”

“Was he some Division agent?” Pj didn’t know much about her parents’ past. She knew the essentials, but details were lost on her. The same went for the rest of her family. Of course their children weren’t going to know every little thing; they didn’t need to be aware of the struggles their parents had overcome. Except, it was nice hearing stories of the past. They got to appreciate just how remarkable their parents had become.

“No. No. He was a normal, goofy guy. He was my fiancé,” Nikita couldn’t remember the last time she had talked about Daniel. It wasn’t as though he was no longer important. She simply didn’t need to talk about him. She was lying, though, if she said she hadn’t thought of him lately. After Owen became Sam, she remembered how she had felt when she discovered he was the one to have killed her fiancé. Him betraying her that time felt far more painful.

“And he died? Like Hayley and Elizabeth?” Of all the figures of her mom and dad’s past, Pj was most familiar with those two. She was told stories about them when she was little, asking for siblings like the Pierce triplets had. Although Max remained a secret at that time, Hayley didn’t. Pj had a sister who had died way before she was even thought of, but one that would’ve loved her had they met. She was silly and stubborn, and giggled so easily. Pj thought she would’ve liked Hayley too. They would’ve been a dynamic duo. 

“Yeah. Division killed him because we got too close. That’s what made me escape. I already defied orders by saving Alex and falling in love. But by then, it was time to keep fighting back,” That was a simplified version of events, yet it worked. Daniel was the catalyst for the war, but not the reason. Nikita had to burn Division and Oversight for so many other lives that were ruined and destroyed. It was why she continued to rage a war against Amanda and the Shop. She had to fight for those who couldn’t. 

“Is this you warning me not to do normal?” Pj scoffed. She and her mother laughed, petting Missy. Alright, she knew normal was overrated. She also knew what they were doing was the right course of action. She simply didn’t want to be so hung up over her feelings for James. She wished she had a name for it, a reason for feeling those butterflies when he was near. She also wanted to know if he felt the same. If not, well, she didn’t want to embarrass herself if it was only a crush.

“I’m telling you to really fight for what you want. Then we’ll get that happily ever after,” Nikita didn’t make many promises. She’d make that one, however. She’d go home with her husband, daughter, their entire family, and Missy. Their war had been raging for far too long, and had caused far too much heartache. It was time to end it once and for all.

“Even after all this pain?” Voice soft, Pj expressed her anxiety. How could they go home after all of that. The decisions they had made, and the actions they had done might not have allowed them to have that peaceful life they all dreamed about. Nikita scooted closer to wrap her daughter in another embrace. She had thought the same. Yet it wasn’t going to do either of them any good to dwell on what ifs. 

“When I was your age, I didn’t think I’d ever have a family that loved me. Or anything worth living for. I do now. I have your dad. And you. And everybody else. I made it all on my own. All that pain made me realize what was worth it. It taught me who to love and protect,” It was the best answer Nikita could come up with. Pj readily accepted it, returning the tight squeeze. Maybe not everything was perfect, but they could make it so. 

“To know love, we gotta know pain,” Joining his wife and daughter on that floor of the loft, Michael smiled. He had been spending some more time with Max, getting to know his son. However, he knew Pj and Nikita needed cheering up and went to their aid. They rolled their eyes at him, but smiled nonetheless. They also nudged at him when he sat next to them and stole Missy’s attention. 

“Wait, Dad,” Pj shot to her feet as she remembered something. She wasn’t gone out of the room for long; she hurriedly went to her things and returned to her parents. Her knife was in her hands. Once she sat between her mom and dad, she held it out to them. She was only supposed to hold onto it until they came back. And, well, there they were, “Here. Thanks for letting me borrow your knife.”

“Keep it. It’s your good luck charm,” Michael didn’t hesitate. He knew the knife had nothing to do with Pj being back in his arms. That was all her and her amazingness. However, he continued to believe it would keep her safe. It didn’t matter how stupid it was, he’d do anything to ensure she was safe and sound. He held his daughter close to him, placing a kiss to the top of her head. She settled against his chest, and sighed happily. Michael and Nikita shared a glance, tears in their eyes. They had their little family back; it was still a shock to them. After a decade of heartbreak, they could be whole again.

“It did help me recognize you. I didn’t kick your ass too hard,” Nikita teased to lighten the tension. Pj glanced incredulously at her once again. Michael laughed at the two of them. There they went ruining a nice moment with the need to one up somebody. It was just like old times. No, it was better times. Times where they could be a family, and ensure their future. It was new times.

“Yeah right. I had that fight in the bag. I can take you out any day old lady,” Full of sass and snark, Pj shot back. Michael’s laughter boomed at the look on his wife’s face. Nikita finally met her match in taunts. Sure, Birkhoff and Alex could give her a run for her money. But nothing was as powerful as their teenage daughter. If she wasn’t so appalled at being called an ‘old lady’, she would’ve been impressed. Everything she had learned had been passed on to her legacy. Except, Pj was always destined to have better and to be better. It looked like she achieved that with her family right beside her.

“Old lady! Come here,” Nikita attacked her daughter with tickles and kisses. Although she was a teenager then instead of a little girl, she wasn’t annoyed. She shrieked and giggled, and fought her mom off of her. Michael wasn’t of any assistance, teaming up with his wife to take Pj down. The Mears-Bishops teased and laughed, Missy jumping between them to play as well. The rest of the world melted away. 


	17. Chapter 16

“So. Money really is the root of all evils,” Cassandra summarized, staring at the impressive board in front of her. All of their intelligence combined with the black books created an impressive sight. Ryan was doing his best to dig through it all. Kara helped, organizing their intel as they went. Nikita, Alex, and Pj sat around blueprints and sketches as they formulated some sort of attack plan. So far, they had created a dual strike against a known Shop organization and one of their bank accounts. It would cripple them financially enough to draw leaders out of hiding, and make them desperate. 

To be prepared with a hack once the mission went active, Birkhoff, Sonya, and Felicity were planting cyber traps. Sean and Michael were assisting in the tech department, by updating all of their untraceable coms and trackers. They should all be able to connect and keep an eye on one another no matter where they were. And James, Oliver, and Max were cataloging their supplies, determining what weapons and ammunition were needed. 

They were working well all together like that (and with Missy available for pets). The team communicated easily, and were open for suggestions. There were disagreements and taunting here and there. But they had a solid mission to work towards. Their focus could be entirely on their goal- dismantle the Shop’s funds, take out the leaders, kill Amanda, go home. All of that appeared plausible, and within reach. If only the money statements weren’t impossible to read. Even to Ryan, “I can’t make sense of half this stuff.”

“Triad can. But we’ll probably have to give them something in return,” Without looking up from her diagram, Pj shared. The Triad she and her parents had interacted with wasn’t a fan of the Shop’s criminal elements stealing their business and encroaching on their turf. The organization learned to intercept and read the group’s reports so they could best them in business. Although they hadn’t been able to take them out, they helped those who were attempting to. Everything came with a price, however. It wasn’t going to be too high. But it was a payment nonetheless.

“You sure that’s wise?” Michael expressed most of the team’s anxiety. The Triad had been fed bad intel about Sam’s meet to sell information; they could’ve been given more. Pj made an argument that Ben could be trusted. He cared for her, and he had a personal reason for wanting the Shop to burn. James supported her, as did Alex and Nikita. Ben and his boss wouldn’t screw them over a second time- they’d make sure of it. And if they did, they’d be sorry. 

“It’s our best bet,” Nikita appeased the rest of the anxiousness. The team swore to do anything; they couldn’t afford to be picky. Besides, with all of them working together they should’ve been unstoppable. They had enough drive and passion, no one could stop them (they also finally had enough resources to continue that damned crusade). Agreeing that Nikita, Alex, and Pj had the most contact with the Triad, the team decided those three would be the ones to get the information. Michael and Sean, on their own, resolved to tag along and provide support from the van. Although eyes rolled, no one argued. 

“We’ll start on the first strike while you’re gone,” Oliver stated. The first phase of their plan wasn’t difficult; it could be accomplished with some of their team off on another assignment. They still made certain it was airtight, though. There could be no room for error. Everyone was going to make it home alive. Sam was going to be the only one lost to the Shop.

When it was all schemed out, the team split. Birkhoff, of course, had to part with a taunt directed towards Nikita about screwing over the Triad in the far distant past. She flashed a rude gesture in response. The experienced agents were so used to it, they ignored it. But their children burst into laughter. It was nice to know that despite everything, their war couldn’t weigh them down too much. They could keep fighting and chasing after what they wanted without giving up everything that they were. When the laughter died down, James found himself chasing after Pj. He caught up to her before she left the safehouse, and gently pulled her back, “Hey Pipes, wait. Who were you talking to at the ring? The one who gave you intel?” 

“Why? You jealous?” The sarcastic tease slipped off of Pj’s tongue effortlessly. Although her tone was flippant, she wanted that to be true. She couldn’t quite understand why; she also couldn’t understand why James became flustered. The two awkwardly regarded one another for a second, trying to see how they were going to move forward. Pj settled for a cocky grin, proving she wasn’t affected by anything. James averted his hazel eyes.

“Maybe she can get you more,” Eventually, he suggested. She agreed to the idea, instantly. Pj had to return to the underground fighting ring anyway so her disappearance didn’t seem suspicious. She had hung around previous places she had raided for a few days afterwards so no one would catch onto her. Although the ring mission went differently, she couldn’t afford to have her cover blown. They were so close to the end; there could be no mistakes. 

James and Pj shared the idea with their parents. They agreed that it was a good follow up, but Pj wasn’t going to go alone. Nikita and Michael would provide backup, while James, Alex, and Sean talked to the Triad. They informed the rest of the team of the change up (though Max, Cassandra, Ryan, and Kara were too busy with organizing their intel, and Birkhoff, Sonya, Felicity, and Oliver were too engrossed in the tech and computers to really add their opinions), then set out on their assignments. The Mears-Bishops quickly arrived at the fighting ring, and with coms in place they separated. Michael covered the exit, Nikita the entrance, and Pj waltzed up to the bartender at the bar, “We never got to finish our conversation.”

“You’re back!” The bartender was surprised to see the fighter. After the manager was killed, she had disappeared. She hadn’t expected to see her again. Yet there she was, green eyes as sparkly as ever. Although she wanted to be, the bartender wasn’t excited to see the fighter return. The ring had become dangerous in the past couple of days. She had to stay away; she didn’t want to see her get hurt. 

“Yeah. My ribs kept me out. But I guess that makes me lucky,” Flashing a disarming grin, Pj leaned across the bar. She was aware that the bartender was nervous. She didn’t blame her. The raid in the backroom had been terrible. The fighting ring might’ve continued, but the change in leadership and blow to their resources was detrimental. There were a lot of changes affecting a lot of people. Hopefully, the bartender would tell Pj all about it, “Has anything changed too much?”

“Well those men don’t hang around anymore. And there’s this lady that keeps going into the backroom,” The bartender whispered. She and the fighter were the only ones by the bar. The underground ring hadn’t opened yet to the patrons. Only the workers and fighters were around. The bartender still wouldn’t take the risk that they were overheard. It wasn’t like how it was before. The woman hanging around wasn’t one to cross.

“Manager’s partner probably. Wants her cut of the missing money,” Pj had a strong suspicion of who the woman might’ve been. How could Amanda not investigate the fighting ring. After the raid and the unsuccessful trap that used Sam as bait, of course she’d look into where it all went wrong. But Pj wasn’t going to tip her hand to the bartender just yet. She’d fish for more intel, while keeping a wary eye out. Fortunately, she had her parents to support her if things went south. 

“I think she’s more like his boss. She’s trying to figure out what happened,” The bartender didn’t want the fighter to be asking those questions. She should’ve run. Shifting her eyes across the ring, she attempted to express that to her. She caught on, yet she didn’t leave. She studied the people around them carefully. The number of workers and fighters in the room had thinned. It was odd, yet it wasn’t conclusive. 

“She talked to you? Did you tell her what you told me?” Pj was becoming increasingly concerned. The bartender was terrified, and people kept leaving the room. Something was wrong. She told her parents as much over the coms, and turned her attention back to her source of intel. She didn’t want her there. But it was out of safety, not contempt. Pj should’ve listened to the bartender’s silent warning. She should’ve run. Stubbornness to see an end to that war kept her rooted, however. She had to know what Amanda knew. 

“She’s just so scary,” Barely a breath, the bartender admitted. The gunshot that immediately rang out startled Pj. She jumped away from the bar, watching her source of intel fall dead in front of her. She didn’t allow herself to scream or even process the sudden death. She pulled out her own pistol and spun towards the origin of the shot. She wasn’t quite certain what she had expected, but it sure wasn’t the person emerging from the backroom. 

The woman had styled red hair, a well tailored dress, flawless skin, and sparking accessories. She had to have been Amanda. Except, Pj never imagined her to look so elegant. For someone so evil and vile, she looked radiant. The juxtaposition was probably what disarmed so many people. Pj kept her gun trained on her, though. Amanda only smiled. Her cold blue eyes gleamed in recognition and delight. There was no doubt she knew who the young agent was, as she cocked her own weapon, “I thought it was Nikita destroying my shell companies at first. But after the junkyard, I knew she had an unsuspecting partner. She and Michael hid you well. I didn’t think you’d actually exist.”

“Some say my skills are supernatural,” Pj snarked. She wasn’t going to try to deny it. That would play into her game. She was going to remain unflappable until her parents came to help her. They had gone to check the perimeter when she said something was up. For the moment, it was just her and Amanda with their pistols aimed on the other. It wasn’t going to be like that for long, however. Nikita and Michael were going to return soon and end the bitch.

“Cute. You look just like your mother, but I see a little bit of your father in you. It’s hidden under Nikita’s snark. But Michael’s stubborn seriousness is still there. Bet you were hell to raise,” While the vile woman approached the young agent, her smile turned cruel. Pj had to fight the chill that ran along her bronze skin. Her parents must’ve been hearing that conversation over the coms; they must’ve been on their way. She needed to stall. So she let Amanda get near her, close enough that they could touch.

“Oh. I’m not like anyone,” Pj possibly did the stupidest thing she had ever done- and that included going rogue from her team. But she wasn’t going to let Amanda out of there alive. She couldn’t kill her with a loaded gun aimed at her. Her only solution was to do something rash and insane until backup arrived. Fast as lightning, Pj shot at Amanda’s hand which held the weapon. The ricochet and debris affected the both of them; they were too close. But the vile woman was the one left with a useless hand. She clutched the bloody thing, screaming.

Unfortunately, her shout drew the fighters and workers who had left. They swarmed Pj in an instant. The young agent managed to take out several with her gun. And when that ran out of bullets, she used her fists. It was all too much for her, however. They eventually had her in their grasps, her fighting only getting her so far. Amanda’s goons held her tightly without a chance of escape. All was looking hopeless, “Nikita! Michael!”

“They can’t hear you,” Amanda screeched, ending Pj’s call for help. She showed her a communication jammer she had in her pocket. A smug grin would’ve been etched across her features had she not been grimacing in pain. She managed to rip fabric from a dead goon’s shirt and wrap her wound, all while glaring and ordering that the young agent be taken away. Pj chuckled at her in response, mostly to cover her absolute terror. Yet, it was possible a part of her had gone insane from adrenaline. Or she was simply riding that same stupidity from earlier. She kind of wanted to piss Amanda off. She deserved it after everything she had done to her family.

Shoving workers and fighters away, Amanda gripped Pj by the throat. She wanted the little girl to pay for all of it. Of course the daughter of Michael and Nikita would get under her skin so much; they were too alike. Pj only smiled more. She had one insane idea left. There was no chance of escaping. Her parents were probably fighting goons along the perimeter. And if they couldn’t hear her, they weren’t going to rush back. However, her knife was still on her. Without the goons holding her, she could grab it. 

She didn’t make an attempt to kill Amanda, though. With her workers around, it would’ve been in vain. But Pj could cut that striking red hair and drop the weapon. She knew her parents would recognize her knife. They’d see it on the ground and they’d know she’d been there. As for Amanda’s hair- considering the color and her piercing eyes were the only features used to describe her- Michael and Nikita would know who took their daughter, once they saw the strands on the knife. The action also shocked Amanda enough for her to let her go, allowing Pj to scream one last desperate time, “Mom! Dad!”

“Give up! It’s over,” With that, Amanda ordered the goons to take hold of Pj and knock her unconscious. The world turned dark.


	18. Chapter 17

“Kara told us a lot about her and Max. And Oliver is so sweet with Felicity,” Alex was trying to get her son to open up to her, and she was unashamed about it. She had had multiple conversations with her sons and daughter, catching up on all their missed time. They tried to be together as a whole family as frequently as possible. Yet sometimes, talking one on one with her children was better; she could give them all the love and attention they deserved. Kara was the most talkative, excitedly telling her and Sean everything. Oliver shared what he wanted, most of that being stories about him and his friends. 

James, however, kept a lot to himself. Of course he happily spent time with his family, yet he was holding something back. Alex thought she knew what it was about. When her son wasn’t with them, he was hanging around Pj. Even if she was teasing Max, joking around with Felicity, or talking to her parents, he was constantly by her side. Everyone could see what was going on between the two, except them. James even appeared lost in thought about it as he replied to his mom, “Yeah. They’re all good together. I’m glad they’re happy.”

“And Pj makes you happy?” Alex was just going to come right out and say it. They didn’t have the time to beat around the bush, while they drove to meet with Triad. Besides, it was fun watching James blush. He attempted to hide it, fiddling with his seatbelt. Yet his parents caught it. Alex shared an amused glance with Sean. All three of their kids were absolutely adorable when it came to their varying relationships. They were incredibly close to their friends. They relied on and supported their siblings. And they were hopelessly in love with their partners.

Kara was the most vocal about it. She and Max were shameless in their PDA and discussing their dates. Oliver showed his feelings for Felicity with his many acts of service. He’d do anything she asked, and vice versa. James and Pj were a bit more complicated. She mercilessly teased him, making them both blush. And he followed her around like a puppy (it was worse than Missy). For some reason, though, they weren’t acknowledging their feelings. James gave some insight as to why, “We’re uh… she’s really focused on her mission.”

However, that only forced Alex to burst out into laughter. She had heard that defense before. Pj might’ve been intensely determined to bring them all home, but it wasn’t at the expense of those she cared about. James should’ve known that. Maybe he did, if his flustered excuses meant anything. Whereas Alex fought to control her giggles, Sean advised his son, “You know. You’re mom and I wouldn’t have gotten together if we didn’t talk.”

“Didn’t you also try to kill each other?” James deflected. He knew he and Pj had to talk. With everything going on, however, that just seemed impossible. They never really had a moment to themselves. And when they did, his words got caught in his throat. An attempt at a confession would jumble out, confusing the both of them. He felt strongly for her, and he hoped she felt the same. He simply didn’t know how to express everything in his heart.

“Who hasn’t on this team?” Sean shrugged. It really did seem that way. They had all been on opposing sides, attempting to fight their way to the top. Fortunately, they got over that and built an awesome team. They had become a family. Together they laughed and cried, saved the day and suffered losses. In the end, despite everything they had been through, they were going to have a happily ever after as one big family. It was what they deserved. 

As they neared the building the Triad operated out of, Alex turned around in her seat and nudged James. He wasn’t allowed to avoid the topic. Not only could the team not operate with distracting emotions running amok, she also wouldn’t let her son be upset. She understood what he was going through. Opening your heart to someone was nerve racking. But he didn’t have anything to worry about. She had seen the way he and Pj smiled at one another. It would all work out wonderfully, “I’ve never been good at talking either. Used to get me in a lot of trouble.”

“Won’t talking cause even more shit?” Softly, James voiced his greatest anxiety. So far, talking with Pj wasn’t getting them anywhere. The closest he had gotten to expressing his true feelings resulted in an argument. In their defense, they were both exhausted and hurt at the time. But they never really resolved that pain. Everything had happened so fast. James felt as though he hadn’t actually processed anything. He had just gotten Pj back after she went rogue. The two never finished their conversation about that. 

“If you don’t express everything,” James had his mother to help him then. He could rely on Alex to help him sort his emotions and express them to Pj. Hopefully, the next time they spoke seriously it would be without them fighting either physically or verbally. Maybe it was stubbornness that wouldn’t let them talk. He knew he was too anxious, so he shut down. That could’ve been the same for her. What he felt for her ran deep; it was more powerful than anything he had ever experienced before. Of course it was difficult to turn that into words. Nothing he could say would fully express how she made him feel. 

“An action might help,” Parking the car, James’ dad suggested. Actions did speak louder than words. And a sweeping declaration might just erase all of the nerves. James thought about what he could do as he followed his parents inside the building. It wasn’t really the time to be focused on that. Yet after days of confusion regarding Pj, he was glad to have something to concentrate on; their stalemate of emotions could be broken. 

Alex and Sean tried not to laugh at their son. They were glad he had found somebody that made him feel so strongly. He was simply being ridiculous about it. His parents couldn’t fault him too much about it; they had been idiots in love in their own past. After they talked their way into the building and waited on their information, Alex reminded Sean of just how stupid they used to be. It earned her a glare from her husband, but at least it was solid advice for their son, “Just don’t make her a goal.”

Nikita and Michael crashed into the underground fighting ring. Their coms had shorted out just as they had run into assailants on their perimeter check. The skilled rogues managed to take them out, but contact continued to be impossible. The Shop must’ve been scouting the area after Nikita and Alex’s raid; when they spotted the snooping agents, they put up a jamming field and attacked. Although Michael and Nikita were able to meet back up outside, Pj was nowhere to be seen. She was probably trapped inside the building, fighting off the Shop on her own. Her parents were desperate to help her. 

Yet when they entered the ring, they were met with dead bodies. Their daughter continued to be nowhere, not answering their calls. Michael hurried to check the other rooms; Pj could’ve been hiding as she waited on her parents. Nikita reached out to her team through the then working coms. It was possible they had heard something. Pj could’ve made contact before taking off to only God knew where, “Jamie! Please tell me you’ve heard from Pj.”

Confused, James tapped his com to make certain he had heard that correctly. Nikita sounded anxious. Something must’ve happened. He excused himself from Ben’s office, and attempted to swallow his own fear. It could’ve been nothing. Pj could’ve just taken off without a word, following some promising lead. He wouldn’t allow himself to think of the worst case scenario. There was no need to be anxious. But he had the sinking feeling that whatever it was, was all his fault. He was the one to tell her to go to the ring, “Uh no. But she…”

“Is there somewhere she’d go if she was hurt or scared?” When Michael returned shaking his head, Nikita interrupted. Pj couldn’t just be gone. She could’ve been hurt and left to seek medical attention. Or she ran out of the area to lay low until the heat died down. Nikita wasn’t going to consider how her com should’ve been working and how she could’ve contacted them. The device was possibly just damaged. Not everything was dramatic. Pj was safe somewhere. Nikita needed to hold onto that.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her run away,” James’ words unsettled Nikita and Michael. Dread was seeping in and they couldn’t fight it off. They searched for anything related to their daughter. She wasn’t gone; she had to have been somewhere. James wasn’t helping as he frantically asked what was occurring. Going rogue from her team because of an argument was one thing, but bolting when she was scared, Pj would never. She’d stand her ground and fight till the bitter end. If she was gone, she was forcibly removed.

“Nikita…” Alex joined her son outside the office, demanding an update. The Mears-Bishops’ assignment shouldn’t have gone south like that. She was beyond terrified to discover what had happened to them. However, Michael’s broken voice captured his wife’s attention instead. He was crouched over Pj’s removed com and dropped knife. Even if she had run away, she wouldn’t have left her weapon; it was her good luck charm. She left that place against her will. 

“Michael…” It was Sean’s turn to attempt to reach the others. Getting intel from the Triad wasn’t as important. But once again, Michael and Nikita weren’t listening. Nikita’s distraught expression drew her husband to her. She noticed something on the blade of Pj’s knife. At first, the strands of red hair were bewildering. But considering the dead Shop goons, where they were, and the tech needed to knock out their coms, Nikita figured out what had happened to her daughter. Amanda, “Birkhoff! Birkhoff… Look at security… track cars leaving the area… She took Piper… She has my daughter…”

Hearing Nikita’s stammering stirred her team into action. Sean ran back to ask Ben if the Triad had any information about where Pj could’ve been taken. Even if they didn’t, Ben would be concerned enough to help them find her. Alex, on the other hand, tried to reach out to Michael and Nikita. Despite Birkhoff following their wishes for a hack, the two were spiraling. They needed to be calm and focused. Though Alex was having difficulty with that as well when she attempted to have them talk to her, “Nikita? Michael? Who took her? What happened?”

“Tell me where my daughter is,” Michael demanded. Clutching Pj’s knife, he was livid. His fear and dread mixed into bitter hatred. He was going to find the bitch who took his daughter and make her pay. He was beginning to think death would’ve been too good of an outcome for Amanda. However, Birkhoff couldn’t get a line on Pj. With her com removed, he couldn’t track her. That didn’t appease Nikita’s anxiety. She was pacing back and forth, ready to tear apart the first Shop goon she laid her eyes on. There had to have been something they could’ve done. They couldn’t run out of options then. 

“I can find her. After Pj’s rogue stint, I made sure to put another tracker on her. One she couldn’t get rid of to disappear again. I can turn it on remotely,” Felicity offered them a miracle solution. Oliver had said putting a miniscule bug on Pj’s shoe would’ve backfired; she would find it and yell at them about trust. Yet it turned out to be an absolutely brilliant idea. It only took a few keystrokes to locate Pj, “Got her. She’s headed east, moving fast.”

“I’ve got an armored vehicle driving that direction a couple blocks away. I can’t run the plates,” Sonya added to her daughter’s information. That must’ve been the Shop’s transport. Pj was more than likely inside it. Although Ryan, Max, Kara, Oliver, and Cassandra were out on their own mission, the rest of the team and their wrath would be more than enough to save Pj and take out Amanda. Besides, Ben was going to involve the Triad on the hunt. His favorite outside hire was worth the risk. 

“That’s her. Track it,” Michael and Nikita sprinted to their car. They knew they needed to plan. If they wanted to keep Pj safe, they couldn’t just burst into a Shop facility guns blazing. Their daughter needed them to be smart. As the three Pierces rushed to their vehicle as well, James voiced his concern. They had to be one hundred percent certain to rescue Pj. They couldn’t make assumptions about where she was. Nikita ripped apart that train of thought instantly. Although she knew he made a valid point and she appreciated his concern, she was going to follow every single lead she had, “Amanda has my fucking daughter. I’m not gonna fuck with what ifs.”


	19. Chapter 18

Pj didn’t like the feeling she woke up to. Her head was floating, her eyes were fuzzy, her mouth was cottony, and her limbs were ghostly dead weights. She and her team didn’t touch alcohol or drugs. They were afraid of the potential of the addiction that had plagued some of their parents. But she had been around drunkards and junkies before. She encountered them while raiding Shop cells and occupying abandoned buildings. She could recognize the effects of being blitzed out on substances. As she regained shaky consciousness strapped to a chair, a thought in the back of her head told her she was the one who was blitzed then. Amanda’s muddled voice that berated her ears, helped her come to a more solid realization, “So this is what Nikita must’ve looked like before I saved her. Dressed like trash, strung out on Ketamine.”

Although Pj knew Amanda relayed important information about what was occurring, she could only focus on the word ‘trash’. Her red dipped dark hair, ear and nose piercings, tattoos, ripped jeans, and cropped tee weren’t trashy- she was cool. She wanted to giggle about it, but she fought the urge. She had to get a better look at her surroundings- determine where she was. She was tied to some kind of chair, yet that wasn’t holding her back. Her body and thoughts weren’t following her commands. Her head flopped forwards and her mind sluggishly replayed the comment. Giggles quickly escaped her, “You didn’t save Mom. You hurt her. You let him hurt her. You let him touch her. But jokes on you. She killed him.”

“How rude of me. We haven’t made any introductions. I’m Amanda,” Amanda ignored Pj. She sat in a chair next to her captive, gently pushing her head back. She frantically shook her head to fight her off. It didn’t do much. But the young agent did notice a tray of tools within the bitch’s reach. Among them was an intimidating needle attached to an empty syringe. Pj had the sinking suspicion that whatever was happening was just getting started. All she could do was laugh about it, however. 

“And I’m your worst fucking nightmare. Firecracker,” Closing her eyes, Pj tried to move her heavy body. It felt as though she was swimming through syrup. She collapsed in a slouched position and flashed some sort of peace sign. Amanda wasn’t amused by her antics, yet she thought she was hilarious. She couldn’t stop herself from answering the questions; her mouth was moving despite her mind. But she could be silly. It definitely kept her from panicking. Though honestly, she wasn’t anxious at all. She might have been held captive by a despicable woman, but she felt light and breezy. Nothing could bring her down. Nothing could stop her from grinning like an idiot. 

“I’ve heard that codename. Do the others belong to children as well? Tell me, did Alex and Sean, and Sonya and Birkhoff have kids? Or do you have siblings? Alive siblings, I should say,” Amanda was more than likely bombarding her with questions to get her to slip out an answer. The strategy almost worked. Aware enough to shut up, Pj bit her lip. She was so close to blurting names, specifically James’. He was the first on her mind at the mention of her team. The thought of him made her sigh dreamily. But she had to focus; she had to keep him safe. 

To ensure that, she thought of her siblings. Amanda was probably trying to get a reaction out of her by mentioning them. Hayley had been killed long before Pj was born. And Max’s death was faked about a decade later. Both were results of shadowy government organizations attempting to control every damn thing. Pj stopped laughing. Innocents being trapped in a war they had no voice in wasn’t funny. Even if she was high as fuck, “You killed Hayley and Max.”

“Percy killed Hayley. And tragically, MI6 killed Max,” If Amanda was surprised that Pj knew about her brother and sister, she didn’t show it. She glanced at the tray of tools, considering which to pick up and play with. The young captive didn’t understand why she was drugged only to be tortured. But she couldn’t hold onto that thought long enough. Max wasn’t actually dead. He was alive and well. The fact that Amanda of all people still believed the false narrative cracked her up. She burst into laughter, not able to settle herself. 

“Why are you so obsessed with my family? Haven’t you hurt Mom enough?” It came in gasping breaths between peels of laughter. Amanda didn’t know shit about the children. With all of those Shop resources, she continued to be in the dark about their existence. That had to have been their parents’ greatest accomplishment. Despite everything, they kept their kids safe. Pj had to ensure that feat didn’t go unnoticed. She had to fight not to say anything about her team. However, her misfiring mind was making things incredibly difficult. 

“She’s the one who hurt me,” Why Amanda was so defensive went over Pj’s head. But at least she stopped asking questions about her family for the moment. She could calm herself and attempt to sit up again. Her body was still heavy and sluggish. She felt so floaty and giddy. Although tied down, she tried to just move around- relish in the fact that it was like she was flying. Her head flopped around the most, and she giggled uncontrollably. It was getting on Amanda’s nerves. She forced her captive to stop, waving a knife in her face for extra measure. The threat got her to focus on the next inquiry, “Was Nikita able to give you the happy childhood she never had?”

“Yeah. Mom and Dad protected me. Can’t say the same for you,” Pj was very proud of her parents and of herself. There was so much love and support in her home, she never felt alone. Her parents had done everything they could to ensure she had all the wonderful things they hadn’t. She’d say they succeeded in that. She’d also say she succeeded in pissing off Amanda once more. Glancing at the hand she had shot, Pj smirked. It was heavily bandaged, and appeared almost useless. Of all the injuries she had caused, that was the best one yet.

Amanda was growing tired of her young captive’s responses. While she giggled and babbled something incoherent, the evil woman got up and crossed the room. Her sights were on another intimidating needle. The second Pj noticed it, her laughter stopped cold. Things were about to get really bad, really fast. Yet the fear didn’t grip her heart like she thought it would. She felt sort of numb. Was that the Ketamine, or was her mind shutting down to protect herself. Either way, when her captor approached her, she was deadly silent, “That’s because your mother is ungrateful for the gifts I gave her. She and Alex.”

“No. You let him touch her. Division hurt them. Semak hurt Alex. And he hurt Mom. You’re just a weak victim cowering under overpowered people,” It all came out in a rush. She was able to scrape together enough thought for her other replies. But that one was born of all the different stories Pj had heard about her family. She knew of Division, Oversight, and Gogol. She knew her family’s history with corrupt abusive people. And she knew that Amanda had the power to stop it, but never did; she added to it, under the guise that she was helping. All of those people could’ve stopped the abuse, yet no one lifted a finger. The cycle continued.

“I survived. I killed my way to the top of the Group. Those men don’t have power. They’re just puppets,” The fact that she had killed so many, made Amanda proud. However, Pj missed the point and got swept up by different thoughts again. She had heard ‘puppets’ and began to sing the  _ Sesame Street  _ song. Well, she sang the music; the lyrics escaped her. She was dancing as best she could while bound, forcing Amanda to strap her lolling head into place. She needed it still as she brought the needle closer, “Oh shut up, you solipsistic teenager.”

“Or what? You’re gonna do to me what you did to Owen?” That had to have been the most coherent thing Pj said. Amanda was shocked, pulling the needle back. The young woman simply smiled. Being high made everything confusing and blurry, but the bitch fucking with Owen’s head made sense. The stories she had heard, the drugs she was pumped full, and the scary needle created one solid image in her mind. It seemed as though Amanda had stepped up her manipulation and mind control. 

“I helped Sam see who he truly is,” That wasn’t a lie. Sam had said as much when the team tortured him in the junkyard. Regardless, Pj laughed. She strained against her restraints, yet she didn’t feel the sting of them digging into her skin. The Ketamine’s effects must’ve been stronger than she realized; she probably wouldn’t have control of her thoughts for a long while. She was practically begging for that not to be the case. Fighting through the fog was exhausting. Especially since the pull of the drug was so nice, she just wanted to float away in bliss.

“Another weak man, right? So you let him hurt her. You’ve always let him hurt Mom,” Had her words always been slurred, or was she finally noticing. Amanda had no trouble catching onto her words after a moment. However, she couldn’t ignore them that time. She couldn’t just brush past the fact that she had hurt Nikita. Staring at Pj, she had to face the consequences of her actions. At least, for some reason, that was what the young woman wanted of her. 

She attempted to reach jelly-like arms at the bitch. But Amanda deftly stepped back. She regarded her captive in confusion. Pj fought another giggle, focusing instead on a disapproving scowl. Getting to pay attention wasn’t so easy anymore. She had to close her eyes to not drift off into nothing. Her body was already there, feeling detached from her mind. She shook her head just to feel something. Amanda’s next question didn’t help her in the slightest, “Who’s him?”

“Amanda let Percy. Katya let Semak. And you let him,” Was the only way Pj could explain. She honestly didn’t know his name. Her mom and dad never told her his name. She just knew he hurt her mom while she was growing up, just like Semak hurt Alex and Percy hurt them both. Although she wanted to say that she had been talking about Percy at first, she couldn’t remember. She had to have been, though, she was speaking with Amanda. But things were blurring together. She couldn’t separate anything without a struggle. Why was fighting so hard. And why was she losing so fast.

“Amanda… Are you talking about Gary? Do you think I’m Caroline?” Amanda grabbed Pj roughly, forcing her to snap her eyes open. She couldn’t focus on her captor, however. Her gaze wandered the entire room, taking in everything and nothing. She knew she had to shake it off- to not submit. But her drive was slipping. The Ketamine was too much for her. She felt overwhelmed and numb all at the same time. Honestly, she was starting to like the false feeling of freedom. It was so much better than the pain she carried. 

Pj forgot what Amanda had asked of her. So, she let her attention fall to a grimy window across from her. Something floated into her vision that she could’ve sworn was a drone. It had what looked like a camera attached, and a red light was blinking. A droopy smile split her full lips at the image. She wanted to follow the red light around. Maybe it would take her to that happy place the drugs kept promising her. Amanda shook her out of those thoughts, though. She dragged her back to the present. Except all Pj could mumble was, “Who?”

“Nikita’s foster parents,” Amanda clarified bluntly. She wasn’t surprised Pj didn’t know their names. The only reason she did was because she had read Nikita’s file all those years ago. Hearing the information made the young woman’s face blank. She didn’t process a single word. Shoving the needle back in her line of sight didn’t give her the same adrenaline spike as before. Her mind was completely clouded by drugs. There was no point in trying to reach her.

“Isn’t that you?” At Pj’s assertion, Amanda lunged for the syringe. She had had enough of her young captive. She injected more Ketamine into her veins and watched her drift towards a place that made her silently giggle. It would be easier to force what she wanted instead of gently prying it open. That way, Pj couldn’t fight back and Amanda wouldn’t be faced with uncomfortable truths.


	20. Chapter 19

Once, when Pj was four, she wandered off out of her parents' sight. They had taken all the kids to the park, enjoying a beautiful day where they didn't have to hide in a safehouse. At some point, however, Pj got distracted by a rabbit. She chased it into the woods, oblivious of the danger she was running into. Michael and Nikita panicked the second they noticed she was gone. They searched everywhere for her as they desperately called her name. The whole thing probably only lasted ten minutes before they finally found their daughter trying to climb a tree. Yet it was the most terrifying few minutes of their lives. Until that moment. Amanda holding their daughter captive was far more horrifying, and far more dangerous.

Nikita had to force herself not to rush off. They knew where Pj was being held; her tracker remained steady in one position. But they had no idea what they'd be walking into. The building could've been a Shop facility. If they burst in without a plan, Pj could get hurt. They had to make certain that never happened. The team needed to be informed- they had to be smart. Except every fiber of Nikita's being was telling her to run. Her daughter needed her; she couldn't just sit in the safehouse doing nothing. She had to protect her. She had to keep her safe.

At some point in her frantic, anxious pacing, Michael reached out and held tightly onto her. Nikita knew it was mostly to comfort himself. His green eyes were pleading, begging the universe to not let anything happen. She didn't have any words to comfort her husband. Regardless, she returned the fierce embrace. She wanted to remind herself of all the other times she had to rescue her loved ones. Every single time she had managed to focus and plan and not feel so shattered. God, that moment was so drastically different though. Michael was spiraling with her. And even their worst nightmares never created that fucking situation. If they lost their daughter to Amanda…

"I see her! BUTR found her," Birkhoff's excited shout drew the couple from their morose thoughts. They nearly fell over themselves trying to hurry to his computer station. Quickly, he turned the computer screen to face Michael and Nikita. No bragging or quips about the superiority of his drone dared to escape his mouth. It never even crossed his mind. His gaze kept shifting to his own daughter, assuring that Felicity really was next to him. Although he was also anxious that Pj had been taken, he couldn't imagine the fear that his friends were grappling with. He honestly didn't want to.

"What's the specs like on the rest of the building?" Sean attempted to push the mission forward. Nikita and Michael were too busy staring at the screen to contribute. They were trying to get a clear glimpse of their daughter. The image was grainy at best, a recording from a drone through a dark dirty window. But the two desperately needed to see Pj. She had to move, react, anything so they knew she was alive. No one blamed them for their lack of focus. The team could plan and think for them; they had their back.

"Worse than we thought," Tearing her eyes away from Felicity, Sonya didn't want to admit the fact. Pj was in a heavily guarded Shop controlled building. Even if the team took out the guards, advanced cameras and technology secured the area. It was going to be nearly impossible to save her. They had each other, and they had support from the Triad. Yet it would take more than that to get everyone home alive and safe. No one wanted to mull over that lack of hope. And no one wanted to inform Michael and Nikita of the danger. It wasn't as though they were paying attention, however. Their hands were clasped as they stared at their daughter and muttered to themselves.

Whereas his parents were strategizing the rescue mission (when they weren't staring at him, or obsessively checking Oliver's and Kara's trackers), James was standing still. He couldn't stop eyeing the exit. Missy was sitting by the door, glancing anxiously between them and the entryway. She knew something was wrong, and was whining for Pj to return. He wanted to whine as well, start yelling at everybody. The only chance of saving her was rushing off immediately. The longer they waited, the more horrible things could be happening to her. Why weren't they jetting off to save the day. They had what they needed- they only needed Pj then. If the threat of being stopped by his parents wasn't so high, he'd run off that instant. It was his fault she was at the fighting ring. He had to make things right.

"She's high. That fucking bitch drugged my daughter," Nikita's ferocity snapped James out of his guilt trip. She was fuming at the computer screen, almost like she thought she could kill Amanda through the camera. They all rushed over and studied the feed to see what she was talking about. Birkhoff and the drone had found a better angle to film from, allowing them a clearer view of Pj. James knew something had to have been off with her. She looked like she was laughing, and her head seemed impossible to support. Alex became furiously more determined at the sight. She pulled up the recorded schematics of the building, studying them intently.

Birkhoff and Sonya were helping Alex as best they could. They supplied information of the tech they would be facing, and the kinds of maneuvers they needed to beat it. Sean chimed in with his own ideas and what they could utilize the Triad's forces for. On the other hand, Nikita, Michael, and James couldn't tear their eyes away from Pj. She had abruptly stopped laughing. The intimidating needle Amanda brought towards her explained why. Slamming his fist on the desk top, Michael could only think about what Ryan had told them concerning the bitch's role in the Shop, "It's her fucking conditioning."

While they were absorbed in Pj's rescue, Felicity was trying to focus on monitoring the other half of their team. She barely could, constantly glancing over to see what she could do to assist. But the others needed her. They had continued the mission they had set out on. No one told them what was occurring with Amanda. The others were already too far gone on their Shop counterstrike to return. But James wasn't considering the importance of that op. All that mattered was Pj. And since rushing off instantly wasn't an option, it was time to bring in everybody, "Tell the team to come back."

"No. We need a distraction. They can provide one," Michael was quick to refute the idea. He finally tore his attention away from the computer, stilling Felicity's hands on the keyboard. His tone wasn't one to argue with. If the other half of their team managed to make that first strike against the Shop, Amanda and some guards would have to be called away to deal with it. Pj would be left alone and they could act. Being split up wasn't ideal. But they had Ben and the Triad to call on to make up their numbers. Some sacrifices were going to have to be made if they wanted to be as smart as possible.

"That's too risky. We need reinforcements. Amanda's gonna kill her," Yet James wouldn't listen. He was tired of just standing there. They had to act; they were wasting so much time. However, he found no support in his argument. Felicity removed her hands from her computer completely. Birkhoff and Sonya were informing Ben of their plans so far over a secured chatline. And Sean and Alex were approaching their son in an attempt to calm him. The only possible support he could find was in Nikita. But she was still staring at the monitor.

She had started mumbling to herself. She knew Pj was saying something to Amanda; she had to figure out what. All she could make out from the video, however, was 'Alex', 'Mom', and 'hurt her'. Copying her daughter's mutters wasn't getting her anywhere. Reading lips was always difficult. Add a drone and the drugs in Pj's system and it was near impossible. Nikita had the sinking suspicion she knew exactly what kind of drug Amanda had injected her with. She was all too familiar with the effects of Ketamine; she could recognize the disconnect from the body and the slurred speech even from afar. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right. But Amanda wasn't done yet, "She's not."

"You don't know that," Brushing off his concerned parents, James snapped. Are they seriously going to fight over that. Pj was fighting against everything Amanda was doing to her, and they were just gonna let it continue to happen. They needed everyone to attack. They needed to go. They needed to save her. Why were they still not saving her yet. His wild hazel eyes landed on Pj's knife. Michael and Nikita brought it with them, handling it with such fragile care. At the moment, it was lying on the desktop waiting for its owner- just as Missy was waiting by the exit. Tears blurred his vision and it took everything in him to swallow them down.

"And you don't know that she will. You don't know Amanda like I do. She won't kill my daughter," She didn't voice that she knew Amanda's only plan was to hurt Pj in order to hurt her. Instead, Nikita tried not to sound too abrasive. James had to calm down. That was an ironic thought coming from her, however. She was losing her grip. Ryan told them about the conditioning and the chair he had found Owen/Sam in. The description matched the one Pj was in at that moment. The thought of Amanda fucking with her daughter the same way she had her friend scared Nikita to death. They couldn't let that happen. Hers and Michael's perfect girl couldn't be tormented like that. She couldn't lose everything she fought for.

"Sweetheart. Just breathe. We're gonna get her out of there," Alex was comforting her son, wrapping him in a tight embrace. But her soft words soothed all of them. Breathe. Think. Focus. Rescue Pj. The team could do those things. Sean and Michael finalized a plan, while Birkhoff informed Ben. Sonya began seriously hacking away, as Felicity got called away to assist the rest of the team with their mission/distraction. And Alex, Nikita, and James readied everything to finally role out. They weren't even close to being out of the woods yet. If anything, they were entering the thickest part. But they were together. And they had a goal. Rescue Pj. Kill Amanda.

Pj's head hurt. She wasn't conscious of anything except that. Her head hurt. Maybe her nose was bleeding, and maybe her limbs were floating. The only thing she knew for sure was that her head hurt. There were sounds around her, and lights, and possibly a chair with straps. She didn't know. Was she drugged. She had been drugged right. K, something, was in her veins, if her memory was correct. But that didn't seem right. The room wasn't right either. She wasn't in her bedroom, was she. She didn't remember sleeping. Did she have a nightmare. Was anything actually happening or was she just there, barely existing.

That gunshot was real, though. The explosive sound of it shocked Pj. She shook her sore head, finally able to focus. The world was blurry around her, she had to blink several times to be able to see. A confused Amanda fell into her line of sight. She was baffled about something related to the gunfire, the phone in her hand, and diverted workers. Pj couldn't focus on that, though. Her only thought was freeing herself from the bonds. What was it she had to do when handcuffed. Dislocate her thumb. She didn't feel any pain as she slipped her hand out. She felt loose. But Amanda was glaring at her. She wanted to know how her family found her before it was over. Her family was there. Pj had to help them. She had to fix everything like she promised.

Without thought (mostly because she couldn't think that well), Pj grabbed Amanda by the hair and slammed her head into that damn tray of tools. The force was strong enough to knock her unconscious, allowing Pj to finally escape. She unlocked the rest of the cuffs and stumbled towards the door. She couldn't walk. Her legs wouldn't follow her directions. She was falling at every step. But she had to keep going. Her family needed her. The guns were going to kill them. She had to fix it. Crashing out of the door wasn't smart. But how was she supposed to know someone was waiting with a gun. A bullet struck her. Maybe. Again, she didn't feel any pain. She ripped the gun from the person and shot them until they didn't move. That turned out to be a great idea. Because the sound of it called her dad to her.

"Daddy!" Pj was so relieved to see Michael. She beamed. He looked like he wanted to smile, but he also looked like she scared him. She was bloody and high and could barely stand, after all. He rushed to her, yelling in his com that he found her and needed backup. His daughter ignored all of that. Her focus couldn't handle any of it. She stared at his hand. Her smile fell fast. Pj's sight had to have been playing with her. The appendage changed from normal to a bloody stump rapidly. It didn't make sense, "No. No. Your hand. Your bleeding. I have to fix you."

"Piper. Bug. It's okay. It's okay. Come on," Michael tried to help Pj down the hall. She was fighting and screaming, however, determined to not go anywhere without helping him first. He had to throw her over his shoulder to move her. But she wouldn't calm down. Her dad needed help. Nothing else mattered but his safety. She needed her dad safe. She needed her daddy alive. She'd fight until the end of days for that. She'd kick and scream, and close her eyes to all of the other confusing images assaulting her. Everything was too much and not enough at the same time. And her head hurt so fucking much.

"Piper! Fight it. Focus on my voice," Nikita attempted to cut through the fog. Pj was shocked to discover she was outside. Michael still held her, but they weren't in the building anymore. They were in an alley, far away from where they had been. Had that much time past. She shook her heavy head. She had to focus on her mom like she said. James, Alex, and Sean suddenly joining them in the alley had to disappear from her mind. So did what sounded like an explosion and Ben commanding people. Also the strange appearance of a barking Missy. Focus on her mommy. The spinning world and jumping, disappearing, shattering images could wait.

"Mommy!" No one was smiling with her. Pj somehow knew it was all Amanda's fault. She did something. She had to have done something. The young agent had to go back and stop her. Her family was safe. Her mission was done. It was time to kill the bitch, "We have to go back. We have to go back. I can fix this. I can fix everything."

Nikita reached up as if to help her out of Michael's arms. Instead, the world went dark.


	21. Chapter 20

Nikita had the chance to do it. She had the chance to kill Amanda. The bitch was trying to stumble down the hall, face bloodied and eyes glazed. Nikita spotted her through a window. All she had to do was pull the trigger a couple of times and it would've been over. The war would finally end. But she heard screaming a couple doors down. They were loud and insistent, panicked beyond any kind of consoling. It was unnerving. It was terrifying. It was Pj. Michael confirmed it over the coms as he tried to calm her and call for backup. He needed help. Their daughter needed help. So Nikita immediately gave up her opportunity to kill Amanda. There wasn't a second to waste when it came to protecting her daughter.

The team was separated when they entered the building. They had splintered off in groups around the perimeter, finding safety in numbers. Michael had been right about the others' mission being a distraction. The guards protecting the area dispersed from the building to stop the attack. That left only the machines and technology to deal with. However, it wasn't that simple. Birkhoff and Sonya were fighting to keep eyes on the area. They had their drone, but it couldn't cover every square inch. Shop cameras and satellites were impossible to control. They had to rely off of tracker positions and what the team was telling them. It was far from perfect. It could all go south fast.

Programed guns that could track the agents' movements were definitely a huge problem. A hack didn't hold for long. The team had to move slowly, careful of flying bullets and watching cameras. There was no doubt the guards that remained in the building knew of their presence. They were going to be waiting for them. Plans had to change on a dime. Although they had been aware they had to improvise in the field, it wasn't a comforting feeling. Everything was at risk; that wasn't a mission to take lightly. One little mistake, and they could lose it all.

Mostly because of the Triad, the team managed to make it inside. They left Ben to secure the perimeter, as they searched for Pj. Her tracker had begun to move while they were fighting against cameras and guns. The drone couldn't get a clear glimpse of her, she was staying far away from windows. To find her, they had to separate more than they already had. Trying to get inside the building had taken way too much time. The team needed to be quick. They had to grab Pj and get out, before anything worse occurred.

Anxiety had Nikita on edge. She had no idea what Amanda had done to her daughter. She knew Pj wasn't dead; she had that hope guiding her steps. But there was a chance the bitch reenacted what she had done to Sam. Nikita didn't want to imagine her daughter having to suffer that kind of mental anguish. She shouldn't have been suffering any kind of pain or heartbreak. She had failed to protect her from the cruelties of that war. She failed to protect everyone she loved. The flying bullets from outside had scrapped and grazed at everyone. They were well enough to continue fighting. Yet anymore abuse to their bodies, and they'd be done.

Someone could've called it a suicide mission, and they would've been right. The team was outnumbered, outgunned, unprepared, and unaware. They readily rushed into the op, however. Saving Pj was worth the risk, as was the chance to stop Amanda. While they searched the building, they found far greater success at taking out the guards than the automated weapons. Birkhoff and Sonya still couldn't guide them and cameras were everywhere, but at least there was some progress. It felt slow going, though, moving room to room while trying to push past injuries. Their determination was driving them forward. And so was their desperation.

Pj was roaming wildly; her tracker wouldn't stay in one place for long. Nikita begged whoever would listen that she was alright. Yet when she stumbled across the room her daughter was held in, her heart sank. There was blood all over the floor. Some of it belonged to two dead guards. But the rest had been smeared, like whoever had been hurt had to drag themselves out of there. It took everything Nikita had to make herself focus. Pj's tracker was moving too fast for her to be seriously injured. Though she was stumbling around, never going anywhere straight. The empty vial of Ketamine could've held that explanation. Or the large intimidating needle that dripped with blood.

Rage overwhelmed Nikita. She gripped her gun tightly and sprinted down the hall, following a trail of blood. She told her team the discovery in clipped words. It wasn't fair. After everything they had endured, they didn't deserve to be continuously thrown into bullshit. They already had to be cautious in regards to Amanda and the Shop, they didn't need to be watching out for Pj as well. But with the drugs in her system and whatever hell-conditioning she had been through, she could be dangerous. Nikita and Alex both had been when they were high. There was no thought to their actions. They did everything off of pure instinct, fear, and aggression. Facing people that wanted her dead probably only heightened that for Pj.

Michael experienced that first hand. He stumbled down a hall he was sure they hadn't reached yet. A dead guard laid on the floor, regardless. When he attempted to approach, shots rang out from behind a doorway. Rapidly, he took cover and prepared to fire back. But as he scanned the area, he realized the shooter was Pj. One of her arms was bloody and useless, and her green eyes were wild and unfocused. It took Michael several tries to get her to hear him. She didn't understand what was happening, besides the danger that she was in. He had to make his daughter see that there were others trying to help her; her family was there to help her.

She finally came around, and dropped her weapon. Pj tripped over herself attempting to reach her dad, excitedly shouting his name. Michael was more in shock about her injuries than relieved that she was alive. Both her shoulder and thigh had been shot and her thumb appeared to be dislocated. She didn't seem to be feeling any pain, but the blood loss was making her dizzy. Or maybe the drugs were. The Ketamine was probably halting her from processing the pain- as well as everything else. Tearing at clothes and calling for backup, Michael moved to quickly patch her up. It wasn't the best, but it had to hold long enough to get her medical attention. However, his daughter started to fight him. She believed something was wrong.

When Nikita warned them about Pj, she mentioned some of the effects of Ketamine. In high doses, a person could experience hallucinations and memory loss. Judging by how suddenly and strongly Pj started to argue with him, Michael thought that was what was happening. She mumbled something incoherent about his hand. Yet as she grabbed it, confusion marred her features. She began to shake her head and scream that it wasn't right. But she'd fix it. She could fix everything. He had to force back his panic. He wasn't sure what to do other than get her out of the building. Except his daughter was fighting and screaming. The guards were going to rush in on them and corner them.

Eventually, Michael managed to heft Pj over his shoulder. He was cautious of her injuries, but the way she was fighting against him only made things worse. Fast as lightning, Nikita was by her family's side. She provided support while he carried their daughter out. There was nothing they could've done to stop the screaming, not then. They didn't have the time to settle her or fight through her fog. Her desperation to fix something (whatever that might've been) was breaking their hearts, however. She was hurt. She was bleeding and crying, yet all she wanted to do was help her dad. And all her parents could do was carry her out of the building before the guards could stop them.

Her shouts might have alerted their enemies, but their team came rushing to them as well. Although they finally managed to escape, the mechanical guns outside continued to be an issue. Ben and the Triad did their best to dismantle them, while Birkhoff and Sonya redirected them. They continued to struggle to reach their vehicles. Once they made it, they erased any traces of themselves with explosives. Nikita hoped Amanda was still in the building when it blew. But she was never that lucky. She had missed her chance and she didn't know when she would ever have another. Having Pj back alive was worth it, though. She'd much rather have her daughter than her revenge.

As they sped to the safehouse where Ben promised medical help would be waiting for them, Nikita attempted to settle Pj. She held her head securely in her hands, and made her focus on her sincere brown eyes. Michael had their daughter laid out in the back of the van, finally able to do a better job at stopping her bleeding. Except, Pj didn't seem to recognize anything that was occurring. She wasn't there with them. Nikita thought she had her back for a moment; she flashed a crooked smile and called for her parents. But then she was right back in the fog. She had to fix it. She could fix everything.

It wasn't the best choice, but it was the only thing Nikita could do to make Pj stop. She had to calm down; she was losing too much blood and the drugs were coursing dangerously through her. Her daughter was just too stubborn to listen, intently focused on a goal that didn't make any sense. So Nikita knocked her unconscious. Although she received a strange glance from James, no one else had any objections to the idea. Her screams hadn't quit being unsettling. Neither Alex nor Nikita had experienced that kind of reaction while high. Something far worse was at play.

Antiseptic and bandages were passed around to the team after Michael took care of his daughter; the others had to treat their wounds as well. James' hazel eyes were glued on Pj, though, as he slapped gauze on one of his gashes. Alex wrapped a bandage around her forearm, before attending to Sean while he drove. Nikita only soothed some of her wounds with antiseptic, not bothering to waste a bandage Pj might need later. However, Michael remained absolutely still. Pj's head was in his lap, and he was gently combing through her dark hair. His green eyes wouldn't leave her. Moving to his side, Nikita took one of her husband's hands in hers. He held both his wife and his daughter tightly, as if for life.


	22. Chapter 21

“What the hell happened?” Oliver nearly shouted. He and the others stumbled into the safehouse, unaware of the shock they were about to endure. James and Sean were being patched up for various scrapes and gashes by Birkhoff and Sonya. Over coms, Felicity was coordinating a future rendezvous with what sounded like the Triad. And Nikita, Michael, Alex, and Pj were nowhere to be seen. As far as anyone knew, they were just supposed to have been gathering information. While half of them went off to make a strike against a major source of the Shop’s funding, the rest acquired intel. The operation was a great success, so what could’ve possibly happened on the recon mission.

Halted, emotionless words explained what went down. Amanda captured Pj at the fighting ring. Felicity’s hidden tracker followed her to a Shop facility. They raided the place with the Triad on little planning. Pj was back alive, but Amanda had done something to her. She was only gone for twelve hours, but there was something wrong with her. The Triad doctor was with her, removing bullets and stitching wounds. Nikita, Michael, and Alex, on the other hand, were calming her down. The Ketamine had run its course, but her body didn’t appreciate the harsh pain she was left with. They swore they had heard her scream at some point. Their hearts had shattered at the sound. 

The part of the team that had missed the terrible events sat patiently throughout the story. But once they had all the information, they were livid. Kara screamed at her father and brother, they should’ve called them back. Ryan and Cassandra tore into Sonya and Birkhoff for leaving them out of the loop. Oliver silently stewed, fists clenched and jaw set. Max, however, went to find his sister. He needed to see Pj; he had to ensure that she really was alive. He didn’t care about Sean’s excuse that they needed a distraction. He didn’t care that because of their op there were less guards, which allowed them to rescue her. All that mattered was his sister. He hadn’t been there to protect her, and she was suffering as a result. He couldn’t leave her then.

“Let’s go to the other room to debrief,” Sonya blocked Max from reaching Pj, however. The team had to come together and actually talk. They couldn’t be screaming at one another, tearing off heads and throwing blame. They also needed some hope to hold onto. Destroying a major source of money for the Shop was a huge win. Giant steps forward could be taken in finally burning the vile group to the ground. The team had to discuss what occurred on the operation and how they could move forward. It’d be something productive to do while Pj healed. And it’d prove that she didn’t go through hell for nothing- they all didn’t.

“She needs the space, bud,” Supporting his wife’s decision, Birkhoff attempted to settle Max. Kara had stopped screaming; she picked up the silent treatment from Oliver, while he huffed and muttered. Although still angry, Ryan and Cassandra agreed they had to talk. But Max wasn’t ready to give in. He glanced at James for support. Out of everyone, he should’ve been fighting just as hard to see Pj. His expression illustrated that hurt, yet he didn’t say anything. He had already had that argument and lost. They couldn’t see her.

Too stubborn to accept that, Max threw open the door leading to his sister. Except, he couldn’t see her through all the people that surrounded her. As a doctor hurried around cleaning wounds and slapping on bandages, Nikita, Michael, and Alex soothed Pj. They talked her down while she groaned and bit back painful screams. Her brother attempted to rush towards her, help in some way. Yet, his mother gently pulled him back. Cassandra shook her head, and led Max away. There wasn’t anything they could’ve done. The words they heard the doctor say as they left proved as much, “The injection sites are infected. I can’t give her anything to come down easily.”

“Of course Amanda didn’t sterilize the fucking needle,” Frustrated, Michael slammed a fist on the tray of medical tools. Pj startled at the sudden sharp sound, irritating her new stitches. She groaned, and her dad instantly comforted her. She was trembling, cramping, feverish, dizzy, and in so much pain. Her bullet wounds, dislocated thumb, and withdrawal symptoms clashed together violently. Pain meds would’ve helped, but where Amanda had injected her with the Ketamine was infected. They couldn’t give her anything using a needle. She had to fight through the pain on her own.

“There is no easy way to come down anyway,” Alex mumbled softly. She thanked the doctor for all she had done, accepting the supplies to redress wounds she was leaving them with. Time was the only thing that could help Pj from that point on. The doctor had done everything she could; the rest was up to her. She at least had her family to hold her and calm her. Fear and panic had mixed with her pain, like she didn’t know how else to combat it. She was terrified of what she was experiencing. It didn’t make sense to her. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t stop hurting.

“Piper. You’re okay. You’re okay, Sweetie. Just hold on to me,” It took everything in Nikita to steady her voice. Her daughter needed her to remain calm. But holding Pj in her arms without being able to help her was driving her insane. She had to have been able to do something to ease the pain. She knew how terrible it felt to have been shot. She also knew how hellish withdrawal was. To be experiencing both at the same time was a nightmare she wouldn’t wish on anybody. So why must her daughter suffer so severely. Pj didn’t deserve the harsh torment. But Nikita did, for not protecting her daughter enough.

Although Pj’s body wanted to curl into a tight ball in an effort to soothe her cramps, her gunshot wounds wouldn’t let her. Her thigh and shoulder were throbbing, adding to all the other aches dizzying her head. Breathing was difficult; it all came in harsh pants. Seeing only made things worse, so she squeezed her eyes shut. Her nails were digging into something as waves of pain washed over her. She could only guess that it was Alex’s hand. Her mother had her resting against her in an attempt to keep her from moving too much. Nikita gently brushed her long, dark hair from her sweat slicked forehead, whispering soft words. Pj somewhat shook her pounding head, “It hurts.”

“I know. Believe me, I know,” Nikita held her daughter tighter against her, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. She sort of hoped Pj’s weary body would drag her unconscious soon. The rest would make surviving the pain easier. Her wounds would be able to heal when she wasn’t straining not to scream. She bit her lip to stop from groaning, probably trying to even her breathing instead. However the attempt drew blood. Nikita moved to soothe her and get her to relax. Talking to her seemed to help a little. It was at least something she could focus on other than the aches.

“Just relax, Pipes. Breathe, in and out,” Readjusting the grip so her hand wasn’t crushed, Alex advised. Pj tried to follow the instructions, easing her hold slightly as she focused. Her eyes remained shut, yet her body relaxed some. Nikita took it as a great step forward, and encouraged her to keep breathing like that. The task was simple enough that her muddled mind could perform it. She just kept taking slow deep breaths, despite the chills, cramps, and aches. Listening to her mom and her aunt helped more than they thought. It meant she wasn’t alone. 

Michael didn’t know what to do. He felt awkward just sitting by Pj as Nikita and Alex tended to her. He wouldn’t leave, that was clear. But he couldn’t imagine her pain. Being shot, yes; he knew what that was like. Yet he had never gone through withdrawal. He had seen recruits suffer that pain years ago. However, it was different witnessing his daughter suffer so severely. There had to have been something he could’ve done. He couldn’t just do nothing while she was hurting. It wasn’t fair that she had to experience so much hurt. He should’ve been able to take that burden from her. When Pj started to mumble, Michael moved even closer. He placed a comforting hand on her side, ignoring how feverish she felt. Her words were what was important, “I don’t know what happened.”

“It’s not your fault,” Michael instantly settled her. Pj’s eyelids finally opened, revealing tear filled green eyes. He bit back his own tears. He kissed her on the forehead, and whispered how much he loved her. The sentiment was echoed by Nikita and Alex. They simply expressed their love for her, while reminding her to breathe. She wanted to be comforted by the words, but she felt worked up. Her dad didn’t understand what she had meant. She didn’t blame herself for what had happened; she couldn’t even remember it. Between being knocked unconscious at the fighting ring and waking up at the safehouse, there was nothing. Her mind was blank. 

Pj expressed that to her parents and aunt through harsh breaths. Panic began to claw deeper at her chest. What if Amanda had done something to her beyond the drugs that she didn’t know about. What if she hurt her family as a result. She couldn’t do that. She had to fix everything. Nikita settled her as she told her of Ketamine’s effects. In high enough doses, it could cause hallucinations and memory loss. But she was safe then. It was going to be okay. Alex and Michael had her close her eyes and focus on her breathing again. She wasn’t relaxed just yet, however. In a fit of pain, Pj nearly cried, “Why?”

Nikita, Michael, and Alex had nothing to say for a long moment. They had their suspicions that it was all Amanda’s way of hurting them. Nikita’s and Michael’s daughter had to suffer so that they all felt pain. But it wasn’t right to put that on Pj. She shouldn’t have to carry that weight; the world shouldn’t be pressed so heavily into her shoulders. Loving, comforting words and touches were expressed instead. They’d answer questions and continue their mission against the Shop later. For the time being, she had to breathe, “Just relax, Pj. We’ll figure it all out later.”


	23. Chapter 22

James couldn’t sleep. He didn’t even know why he tried to lay down and close his eyes. Sure, he was exhausted- both emotionally and physically. Yet horrifying images wouldn’t leave him alone. All he could see was Pj covered in blood. Her nose, her shoulder, her thigh, bleeding too much to be possible. He tried to remind himself that she was safe then; she was okay. But then he would remember her screams of pain. The anxious, distraught expressions of his friends and family didn’t help. It made things worse as he thought of their own gruesome injuries. They were healing and they were resting, but those images would never leave him. At least he could walk around the loft, do something active. However, when he entered the great room, he caught someone else awake. His anxiety spiked, “Hey. What are you doing up?”

Hurrying to her side, James attempted to help Pj. Except, she didn’t need him. She was sitting on pillows, injured leg stretched out in front of her. Missy was tightly tucked into her side, not daring to be taken away again. The team wouldn’t let the dog near Pj while she was going through withdrawal; it would’ve been too much. But since her owner was feeling better, she wasn’t going to leave her alone. Pj let her know of her appreciation by constantly petting her. With one arm in a sling, it was awkward. Yet she made it work, content just staring at all the evidence they had against the Shop. Her green eyes wouldn’t tear away from the intel. She barely glanced at James as she replied, “Hey. What do you think?”

“Are you okay?” James sat down next to her, gently supporting her back so she didn’t fall backwards. Although Pj wasn’t suffering as terribly as she was when she first regained consciousness at the safehouse, she was still shaky. She appeared tired and weak, probably needing to sleep for at least a week. The pain must’ve been keeping her awake, however. Either that, or whatever was driving her to study the Shop in the middle of the night. The only ones to have talked to Pj since her rescue had been Nikita, Michael, and Alex, but they told the others of her lack of memory. James guessed she was attempting to piece together what had happened at that moment. There was no doubt she desperately wanted answers.

Eventually, Pj turned to look at James. His hazel eyes were overwhelmed with concern, and his shaggy brown hair had flopped into his face. Softly, she reached up and brushed it away. The busted nose and black eye he had sustained became more noticeable, and he flinched. She shouldn’t be worried about him or his injuries. She should focus on healing and resting. Not one to listen to others, however, she didn’t answer his question. Instead she asked her own, voice hoarse and quiet, “Are you?”

“I’m better with you here,” James admitted. His words and gaze were intensely earnest, causing Pj to look away. Her hand dropped from his cheek, and Missy nudged at it so she’d pet her again. It wasn’t the best time for him to be talking about his feelings for her. He should probably give her time and space. But after everything that happened, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. She deserved to know how he felt. And he deserved to tell her everything. It wasn’t going to do either of them any good to hold it all in. Besides, timing was always a bitch. So why not just dive in head first.

“We never got to talk. About what happened,” Pj seemed to have been more or less on the same page; she at least wanted to talk. Their conversations about her rogue months were always started and never finished. If they were going to move on to deeper discussions about their feelings, then they should establish a foundation. She thought so, anyway. James was ready for more. He thought he had wanted to talk through the past ache he felt when she was gone. Yet, in hindsight, what did it matter. He almost lost her without letting her know how much she meant to him. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.

“Honestly, who cares. We’re all back together again,” Scooting closer to her, James smiled. There was no chance of Pj going rogue again, not with her family there beside her. She got everything she wanted; she didn’t need to separate from them to prove a point or be so frustratingly stubborn. Her loved ones had her back. A strange look crossed her features, however. He couldn’t tell what she had started to think. When he tried to understand the expression, she turned away from him. Her eyes were glued to the Shop intel once more. 

Neither said anything for a long time. James began to regret bringing up serious topics while Pj was still healing. The whole team was still healing really. That shock, and pain, and fear weren’t going to go away anytime soon. Being close to her assured him that she was safe and sound. Missy helped as well, being such a stalwart companion. Yet the effects of what Amanda had done left a nasty mark. The fact that Pj appeared so small and frail, despite how strong she was, proved as much, “Yeah. It sucks without your family.”

“It sucks without you,” Although James agreed with that statement, he wanted to focus on her. He had made the mistake before of being too general with his statements; he said it was what the team needed, instead of just himself. Pj had been the one to call him out on it. She told him to think of himself and express what he wanted- no one else. He couldn’t believe it took him that long to follow her advice. He didn’t like that nearly losing her made him come to those realizations. He should’ve already been there, completely open and honest. There was no point dwelling over past mistakes, however. It was all about the present and a potentially bright future. 

“Well I am the brains and brawns of the operation,” Pj smirked, glancing at James in amusement. He collapsed in giggles, though his bruised ribs protested, brushing her forehead with his. She pressed into him, matching his light laughter. If she was deflecting or not, he couldn’t tell; quips were usually her go-to way of accepting compliments. But he appreciated the moment to laugh and smile. She made it so easy sometimes. How could he not grin like an idiot when she made the world so bright. 

“You’re more than that. You’re so great and amazing. I’m in awe of you,” The words tumbled out of James without any further thought. Thinking too much made him choke on his confessions, and say the wrong things. Pj had to know the truth of his feelings. Since some of them were out there, so bold and honest, she blushed. He nearly laughed all over again. Not because it was stupid of her to blush. But because he had never seen her react that strongly to something he had said. Usually he was the one flustered. His heart skipped a beat knowing she felt the same as him.

Fighting the urge to hide behind her curtain of long hair, Pj looked at James. She really looked at him, and it was his turn to blush. Yet, he didn’t look away either. He scratched at Missy’s fur, partly to give himself courage. And partly to give him an excuse to brush her hand with his. She caught onto his actions, momentarily entwining their fingers. He paused, heart stopping. Uncharacteristically shy, she grinned, “You’re pretty awesome yourself, Jamie. You are the heart of the operation.”

He didn’t know how to respond. His brain almost seemed to have short circuited. Pj typically said he was the most caring of their team members. James never took much credence in the words, thinking that against his siblings that it wasn’t a contest. Yet there wasn’t a trace of sarcasm in her voice. It was one of the most serious things she had said; she meant every single word. When his mind finally caught up to him, he found himself blurting. His heart was controlling him, and he had no power to stop it, “I don’t think I could do it without you.”

“You didn’t lose me. Ever. I’ve always been right here,” Pj was able to know exactly what he meant, even if James was uncertain of the ‘it’ he was talking about. She wasn’t going anywhere. She was fighting for everyone in her family; that included herself. She was going to be by his side, like she always had been. He nearly kissed her. There had been moments where the thought crossed his mind before- whenever they sparred and she pinned him to the mat was definitely an example. But it had never been as strong as it was in that instant. He didn’t know how he managed to hold back. Maybe because their injuries might’ve gotten in the way. Regardless, he needed to express three important words first. She had to know. 

“Piper, I…”

“Pj!” Interrupting, Max crashed into the great room. Pj snapped her attention towards him, immediately. Whatever spell had trapped her gaze on James was broken. She beamed at her brother, just as excited to see him. He collapsed on the floor next to her, and wrapped her into the tightest hug he could manage with her injuries. She returned the embrace. They held one another for a long time, ignoring the world around them. Once they parted, however, Max taunted his sister, “Can you go two seconds without giving us all heart attacks?”

“No. My mission in life is to kill you,” Pj teased in return. It was the most heartfelt the siblings were going to get, yet that worked perfectly for them. They continued to poke fun of each other, expressing how much they genuinely cared. Although upset his confession was ruined, James smiled at Max and Pj. He was glad they could return to their bickering relationship. The two annoyed the hell out of one another, but no one was closer than that brother and sister. Except for the triplets, but they had the advantage (or disadvantage, depending on how often they fought) of knowing each other since birth. 

“You know. I was gonna suggest we watch a movie. But if this is how you treat me, I don’t wanna hang out with you,” At some point, Max lightly offered something they could do since they were awake. Without saying anything, they knew it was nightmare and traumatic events related. Sitting around thinking wasn’t going to do them good. Watching a movie while joking around seemed like a better option. Max hopped to his feet, and he and James helped Pj to hers. Missy stood close to her owner, determined to go whenever she went. 

“I cannot be bribed to behave, old man. I have my own movies. And a much bigger room,” Pj bit back. She loved making fun of her brother for their age difference. It wasn’t that drastic, but it always made him roll his eyes. Not letting her limp back to her sectioned off room of the loft, Max picked his sister up to carry her. In regards to her injuries, it was awkward. Yet she loved every second she could tease him for it. As the siblings made their exit, James planned to leave them alone. However, Pj called him back. He was her family too, “Jamie, you coming?”

Kara was waiting in Pj’s room when the three arrived. She had woken from a nightmare, and had to see if her friend was alright. It was a strong anxiousness that compelled her, but she was sort of glad it did. She could hang out and talk to her, expelling the rest of the demons. Max set Pj down so he and James could set up for a movie. Kara was quick to sweep her in a hug and ensure she didn’t fall over. The two found themselves giggling, “Oh, Pj. I’m so glad you’re okay. You can’t leave me to deal with Jamie and Ollie on my own.”

“I heard you guys did good on that money op,” Pj praised instead of actually replying. She didn’t want to talk about it. Fortunately, her friend instantly understood. Kara gave her more information about the mission, filling in the gaps Nikita, Michael, and Alex had left. She kept it as light as possibly and focused on the positives. Pj appreciated it more than Kara knew. It gave her something hopeful to look towards. Against all the torment, the team managed to do something right. 

“It all had to do with my flawless leadership,” Joining the others, Felicity added. Her room was next to Pj’s, and she was able to hear the conversation through the thin walls. Because she had already been awake, she decided to burst in on the movie night. Kara rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. The boys finished with their set up, and moved to help Pj back into bed. James’ bruised ribs proved a problem, so Max had to carry her again. She couldn’t stop the jokes. Especially as Felicity, Kara, and James joined in. 

“You can be mean and be quiet at the same time,” Oliver snarked, the last to join movie night. He was loudly berated as a result, yet he settled with the rest of them on the bed. They eventually found comfortable positions that allowed them to all sit on the mattress, injuries and Missy and all. The friends ignored whatever movie was playing, more content to continue joking around and lifting spirits. There were still emotions to process and confess. But for the moment they could be together like that- simple and carefree. After everything it was what they deserved most. They deserved to be happy and free.

In the morning, the friends’ parents became worried when they couldn’t find them in their rooms. Michael and Nikita were beyond concerned, considering Pj was supposed to have spent the night in ‘medical’ in case anything happened. If she and the others were gone, well no one was willing to dive into that anxiety. It didn’t take them long to find their kids, however. All apprehensions disappeared the second they saw them in Pj’s room. They were all curled into one another, fast asleep. The TV was still on and Missy was drooling, but no one stirred. Their parents smiled brilliantly at the sight.


	24. Chapter 23

“Ouch. That looks bad. But you can get a new hand,” Sam limped into the room, eyeing Amanda over. A nasty gash etched across her forehead and cheekbone, and a grotesque bullet wound ate at her palm. Both were patched up fairly well, but it wasn’t anywhere near Shop standards. Sam knew that well. After the brutal injuries he had sustained at the junkyard, the organization practically made him into a new man. It cost him some of the money he had earned, and a bit more intel on his former team. But it was the price to pay to live.

Amanda just glared at Sam, however. She didn’t want to hear anything from him. She should’ve just let him go when she had the chance. Saving him wasn’t worth the trouble it put her through. All of his information had been for shit. She should’ve let him die in that junkyard and been done with it, “You didn’t tell me they had kids.”

“Your problems aren’t with them,” Sam instantly negated. His stance on the matter was firm and resolute. Amanda’s war was with Nikita and her team; her daughter and all the others were off limits. They shouldn’t have even been involved in the first place. He should’ve stopped them as Owen. Then, he felt as though it were too late.

“You have a soft touch for them,” A tad shocked, Amanda grinned condescendingly. Sam’s tone was easy to read. He wanted her as far away from the children as possible. That was a little too late then. However, he didn’t know that. He was attempting to continue protecting them. She almost laughed. How could a selfish, egotistical man be so willing to sell out his team for cash, but not the people they cherished the most. Apparently she didn’t have to work as hard as she had all those years ago to turn Sam into Owen. That personality was already there. 

Sam shook his head, and limped closer. A scowl settled across his brow, forcing Amanda to hold back another laugh. He was really trying to intimidate her. If anything, he was overplaying his hand, “No. Owen was the soft touch. I’m being practical. They haven’t done anything. They’re just a bunch of college kids in way over their heads.”

“I think they’re managing just fine,” Amanda rolled her ice blue eyes, and indicated her injuries. Sam was right about one thing: she could have it fixed by the best that the Shop could offer. However, she wanted the scars. It’d be a reminder not to underestimate her enemies. And to not overestimate her source of intel.

“One of the kids did that? Which one?” At least Sam attempted to hide his pride. He had more love for the brats than Amanda had thought. She could possibly use that to her advantage. He already let slip that Michael’s and Nikita’s daughter wasn’t the only child, though she had assumed as much. Maybe she could get him to slip up more.

“Nikita’s brat,” The bite to Amanda’s words made Sam laugh. He really was prideful in what that girl had done. Yet he wasn’t surprised. She shouldn’t have been either. She got a sense of her personality when she had her captured; she was certainly a Mears-Bishop. It was the others she was more interested in. She had to know what Nikita and her team were protecting so much. How much did they have to lose.

“There’s a reason we call her firecracker,” Sam confirmed another of Amanda’s suspicions. The codenames were used for the kids. It was a vain attempt of hiding their identities. Putting themselves out on the line threw them in more danger than they could’ve realized. Silly little nicknames couldn’t save them from anything.

It was Amanda’s turn to stalk towards Sam. She had a far more menacing effect than he could ever achieve. He wanted to blame the facial scar. But he knew it had everything to do with her dead blue eyes, and the power he knew she wielded. Her command nearly made him startle, “So the other codenames belong to the other kids. Who are they?”

“You don’t already know?” Sam wasn’t afraid to admit that he was deflecting. He mostly did it to piss Amanda off. Though, he wasn’t sure if it was entirely effective. Her glare narrowed, and she bore into him. He attempted not to give anything away.

God, was she getting sick of that game. Amanda should’ve had everything she wanted. For years, every single demand of hers was met. Except when it came to Nikita. How did that junkie streetrat keep winning. Snapping, she grabbed the first thing she could find and threw it at Sam. He barely managed to dodge it, staring at her wide eyed. It calmed her somewhat to know that she was still feared, “All of this useless information, and for what? I have access to anything I ever wanted. And I didn’t know about their damn kids.”

“Protecting their kids had been their main focus for decades. But now that they’ve followed in their footsteps, you’re gonna have hell raining down on you.” Sam smirked. There was no doubt the kids were going to continue to be overprotected. But since they didn’t need to be hidden anymore, all focus could be put on Amanda. It was honestly a wonder they had stayed hidden that long. That was possibly just the might of the team. They really would do anything for their family. And for some reason he gave them up. 

“Not if you tell me everything,” Amanda pried into that feeling. She had lost so much recently- the fighting ring, the trap- it had to end. She thought capturing Nikita’s daughter would’ve been beneficial. But she didn’t finish what she had started. That was what she got for last second planning once she discovered the teen and her identity. Hopefully, whatever she had done would be enough. If not, well, the team was probably desperate enough by then to do something stupid. 

“I made my deal, and I paid the price for it. You’re better off just leaving the kids alone. I’m out,” Attempting to walk away, Sam really did want to be done with it all. He had his money, and he had been healed. He was ready to leave that fucking war and never look back.

But Amanda gripped onto his still sore arm, and yanked him to her. He wasn’t going to get her into that mess and walk away. His payment wasn’t over. She was going to get her information whether he liked it or not. Besides, she was gaining plenty from their conversation already, “You sold out your team, thinking you could draw attention from their kids.”

“You’re not as smart as you think you are. I did it for the money,” Sam couldn’t shake his arm from her grasp. The pain in his shoulder was still too intense. Amanda had him trapped.

“But you don’t want more. You want the brats safe,” She hissed. Sam hadn’t completely given up on Nikita yet. By protecting her daughter, he was giving her what she wanted. Amanda was getting sick of the loyalty towards that fucking woman. She didn’t do anything to deserve it. As the leader of Shop, as the person to have given him an out, Amanda should have Sam on her side. Not Nikita. When would that goddamn war between them ever end. Why couldn’t she just give up.

Glancing at Amanda’s wounds, Sam eased. They were proof that the big, scary bitch could be taken down. The fact that it was done by a little too scrappy at times teenager made it even better, “Well obviously, they can take care of themselves.”

“We’ll see about that,” To call the grin that pulled at Amanda’s lips a smile would’ve been generous. The intent in her gaze was anything but joyous.


	25. Chapter 24

"Why are you watching that?" Michael rubbed his tired eyes, joining Nikita at the desk she was working at. He had startled awake to an empty bed, and immediately went to find his wife. He really shouldn't have been surprised to catch her digging through the footage Birkhoff's drone had captured. After they had rescued their daughter, she had been desperate for information. Pj shouldn't have suffered for nothing; she shouldn't have suffered at all. There had to have been an end to the war that had lasted for far too long.

"I need to know what happened," Nikita mumbled what her husband already knew. Michael pulled up a chair next to her, and grabbed hold of her hand. Although her eyes remained glued to the screen in front of her, she squeezed his hand in return. BUTR hadn't captured the best footage of Pj and Amanda. Yet what she had seen continued to frighten her more than she ever wanted to think about. It didn't help that watching her daughter and her former tormentor interact seemed surreal. It put a feeling in the pit of her stomach that should never be explored.

"Isn't it a good thing she doesn't remember?" Trying his best to redirect her, Michael mentioned one possible positive from all of that bullshit. Pj not being able to recall the torment she experienced was a blessing to him. He couldn't change the fact that she had been hurt, no matter how hard he tried. But his daughter at least wouldn't experience more pain. She wouldn't have nightmares, or any lingering trauma. She could live her life free and happy.

"Unless it's Owen all over again," However, Nikita had darker thoughts. She couldn't remember anything that had happened while she was high, but she was still paying the consequences for shooting that cop. It might not be as bad for her daughter. If she had anything to say in the matter, Pj was going to have the happily ever after she never had. There was just Amanda to deal with. That vile bitch already destroyed one of their family members. Who was to say she hadn't done so again. Who was to say she didn't make it a million times worse.

"Piper's okay," Michael was quick to banish those thoughts from her mind. He got Nikita to look at him, his expression as sincere as ever. Pj was asleep in the next room, healing from her injuries. They couldn't let themselves see the negatives of that. Their daughter was safe and sound, and they got to be a family again. Amanda couldn't take that away from them. That fucking crusade was done ruining their lives. They were going to ruin it. But for the time being, Michael would assure his wife. He redirected Nikita to the computer screen, and pointed out something he noticed, "It doesn't look like Amanda had time to do anything."

Slowly, Nikita nodded. When they had raided the Shop facility, their enemies had been surprised. They weren't expecting the team and the Triad to come to the rescue so soon. If that was the case, then Amanda might not have been able to finish whatever torment she was attempting. Ryan had said Owen had been missing for days before he resurfaced. Pj had only been gone for twelve hours. Maybe there was no need to panic, "She still tried."

Not being able to argue against that, Michael searched for something productive they could put their focus in. He and Nikita could turn their pain into drive; they had done so a million times before. Then shouldn't have been any different. Though, since it concerned their daughter, it was the worst thing they had encountered yet. Leaving Pj for her protection had been heartbreaking, staying away for so long was insufferable, but watching her get hurt trying to end the war for them nearly killed them. The two needed the opportunity to burn their enemies alive, "What do you have so far?"

"I think Amanda was fishing for intel, but Pj wasn't giving it up. She even said Max was dead," Checking the few notes she had scribbled down, Nikita shared. There wasn't any audio, but she was able to figure out a couple of things that were said. It was mostly what Amanda wanted. Her lips were easier to read as she threatened their daughter. Pj, on the other hand, was all over the place. She seemed to have been slurring her words while she flopped her head around on the chair she was tied to. At least if Nikita was having a hard time solving what she had said, then so had Amanda. She could've gotten nothing from that godawful interrogation.

"Does the Shop still think he and Cassandra are?" Michael almost laughed. After all those years, he couldn't believe their enemies didn't know their deaths were faked. Cassandra and Max were out in the field with them, so how neither the Shop nor Amanda discovered their identities was baffling. It was possible they didn't believe the two would ever bring themselves into that war; thinking they were alive would've been absurd. The fact that their identities, along with the Pierce triplets' and Felicity's, remained a secret was beyond incredible. It meant that they had done something right.

"If so, it'd explain the lengths Amanda went to to 'recreate Sam' or whatever," Despite her eye roll, a small grin pulled at Nikita's lips. The whole 'Owen' and 'Sam' thing continued to be confusing. They knew the story of how he used to be Sam, then Amanda fucked with him once he was recruited into Division. And when the moment was right, she fucked with him again to reverse the process. It was terrible to lose a friend like that- it was even worse that he sold them out. However, he apparently had kept some information to himself. He didn't divulge intel on their kids. Owen wasn't completely lost to Sam. Amanda hadn't completely won. There was hope Pj could fight what might have happened to her.

Michael was on the same train of thought. The team had suffered serious blows lately; it was difficult to stay above water. Yet they were finding positives to focus on. They struggled to find them, but they were trying nonetheless. As the recorded footage shifted to Amanda shoving that damned needle in Pj's nose, Nikita switched it off. She had to think about how little the Shop knew. Her daughter's torture couldn't overwhelm her. Amanda's intel was lacking, and that was a blessing. Fortunately, her husband continued to help her see that, "Their intel flow is short."

"Money can buy a lot of things. But it's not everybody's price," Nikita's voice practically dipped in disdain. The saying was annoying to her; it didn't matter how true it was. Michael, however, shot upright in his seat. Before she could ask what it was about, he mumbled through an idea he suddenly had. She couldn't get him to explain it further; he left the room to try and bring the idea to anyone else who was awake. She followed, wondering if that was how she was whenever strange ideas hit her. If so, then it was about time the tables turned.

"Ryan. Go over the money op again," Guessing the noises in the kitchen belonged to their friends, Michael demanded. Ryan glanced bleary eyed at him and Nikita, the early morning not being kind to him. When all he was answered with was a stern expression and a shrug, he mumbled through the mission again. All they had done was dismantle a Shop money laundering business. They stole the money, took out the leaders, and handed information to the authorities. There really wasn't much to repeat. Yet Michael hung on every word.

Alex and Sean had stumbled into the kitchen at some point during Ryan's second debriefing. They weren't sure what was going on either. Yet they listened and helped Nikita with the coffee and the start of breakfast. They had all learned to just go along with those types of things, and wait for an explanation. Their team wouldn't leave them lost and confused for long. They could also catch on quickly, somehow thinking the same. As Ryan finished retelling them what had happened on the op, Alex realized what Michael wanted to hear, "Wait. Go back. They didn't have a black book?"

"We went through hell to get one at a fighting ring run by someone else. But they didn't have it," Nikita soon understood her husband's thoughts. Everybody had a price, yet that price wasn't always money. Information, on the other hand, could get people anywhere. She shared a concerned glance with Michael. The Shop wouldn't hand over their intel to just anybody. Something terrible was going to happen.

"But that was planted," Sean didn't see it yet. He was still a little confused over Sam's betrayal and the trap that had been set for Nikita. Maybe there was only a black book at the fighting ring because of that. Sonya, however, reminded him that it was the information that was planted and not the book when she entered the kitchen. Birkhoff then quipped that it was possible Amanda was all out of secrets; it was bound to happen eventually. As wonderful as that would've been, that so wasn't the case.

"They gave it to someone as payment," Everyone's exhausted attention turned to Nikita while she finally shared hers and Michael's thoughts. Cassandra wouldn't believe it. She might've been the last to join them that morning, but she didn't want to comprehend that the Shop had to pay another organization. What kind of group would want that information- what could they possibly do with it. No one said a word. Thoughts turned dark and worrisome. Just what had they gotten involved in. What were their enemies up to.

The team seriously had to stop letting the worst get to them. They needed to remain focused on the positives. The fact that they were all together as a family again was the most positive thing they could think of. They could eat their early morning breakfast together, talking and laughing like they always managed to do with one another. Their kids definitely helped with that. Those rambunctious twenty-somethings could bring smiles to their faces no matter what. Though, they were nowhere to be found that morning. It was weird, "Where are the kids? They're usually screaming about something by now."

As they thought about it, Missy wasn't wandering around either. The dog usually followed Pj everywhere she went. Since they hadn't let her into the makeshift infirmary with her, she had whined at anyone passing by. The loft was far too quiet for the amount of people occupying it. Their children should've definitely made more noises than they were in the kitchen- even if it was that early. Immediately, the team took off to find them. No one was in their bedrooms or in the 'infirmary'. Panic began to claw at them, making them think something terrible had occurred. Yet when Nikita checked Pj's supposedly empty bedroom, she sighed in relief. Of course they were curled around one another, dead asleep, "Found 'em."

Her family joined her in the doorway to stare adoringly at their kids. Some began to stir at the noise, yet the parents weren't going to leave their children alone. They were the brightest things the team had to hold onto; they were perfect, "See. They're all okay."


	26. Chapter 25

It wasn’t much longer before the kids all woke to their parents staring at them (and to uncomfortable, twisted positions and a drooling dog). They groaned in annoyance, and cast sleepy glares. Yet their parents just laughed at them. Together, they all stumbled to the kitchen, eating breakfast as a family. Once everyone woke a little more, and let past anxieties settle, teases and jokes floated around. It was almost as though it was a normal day with a normal family. There were no troubles to worry about, or any war to fight. They could simply be, breathe in each other’s happiness and calm. 

However, no matter how long the family wanted that to last, they had a mission to complete. They couldn’t maintain that normalcy for long, not while knowing there were people out in the world they had to stop. Especially when all those people wanted to do was to ruin their happiness. With Missy bouncing around as support (and begging for any food scraps), they were able to gather in the great room around the impressive board of information. Whether it was good impressive, or bad, no one was sure yet. Maybe they could figure it out by tackling their frighteningly new problem. Of all of them, Ryan was the best at compartmentalizing it, “There’s always a group behind the group.”

“That’s bullshit,” Oliver muttered. That wasn’t the first curse anyone had mumbled over the matter. Yet the sentiment continued to hold a lot of emotions. If they had been fighting two organizations at once, that’d explain why they were still trapped in that war after decades. But if the other group was new, and had sprung up recently, then they had failed at trying to keep evil at bay. It was snowballing out of control.

“They could be working together. Not controlling each other,” James tried at something hopeful amidst the darkness. Just because the Shop had shared intel, didn’t mean they were handing it to their overseers. The two evil organizations could’ve joined together. Somehow, for the team, that was the least weighty option. It at least meant there weren’t any more big bads. They still had their focus on Amanda; the rest of the chips would fall once she crumbled. 

But the team was only assuming. They had no solid intel on any of that. Despite securing a black book, partnering with the Triad, ruining money supplies, and raiding Shop business and buildings, they continued to scrounge for information. They could take away their enemies’ funding all they wanted. But if they didn’t know exactly what they were stopping, then what was the point. Unwilling to give up just yet, Kara kept asking important questions, “Who would the Shop ever work with? Amanda doesn’t seem the cooperative type.”

“Unless it gets her something in return,” Alex shrugged bitterly. Amanda was up to something. Even with the lack of information, that was clear. She wouldn’t have unleashed Sam on the team and made a grab at Pj, if she wasn’t scheming some sort of attack. The supposed black book trade was a part of something much larger than a righteous crusade or revenge. However, they were going to continue digging into it. The increasing difficulties weren’t going to force them to stop. Was that stupid, or brave.

“Yeah. But she burned Percy and Ari,” Sean reminded everyone. Amanda might’ve worked with others in the past. Yet once they served their purpose, she disposed of them. There was a chance she could get rid of the other group. Except, she had given them intel pertaining to her. Things were just too complicated to figure out on their own. The team could reach out to the Triad, maybe find a few other connections. Or they could go on a fact finding mission, do some recon. Otherwise, they were stumbling in the dark.

“And the Group leaders,” Pj seemed far away as she whispered the fact. Her green eyes were staring at a nonexistent point, trying to grasp onto something that wasn’t there. Somehow, she knew Amanda had taken out the other leaders of the Shop. she wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did. It wasn’t stated anywhere in their information. And there was a slim possibility anyone outside of that vile group would have that kind of intel. She must’ve done something to learn that fact; she just didn’t know what. 

The team wasn’t sure how to take Pj’s statement. It was either confusing or enlightening. She also wasn’t sure what it was. She was too focused on attempting to remember how she knew those things. Her mind wouldn’t quite grasp onto the topic. Cloudy images kept slipping past, completely unattainable. Moving to settle her growing frustrations, Michael tried to orient her, “Did Amanda tell you something about the Shop?”

Attempting to think about what had happened when she was captured made things worse. Pj harshly brushed her dark hair out of her face, trying to think of anything. She wanted another fact to spring to mind. The team needed her help; she would have the most useful information. But she just couldn’t. She was letting everyone down. Before that thought overwhelmed her, Nikita materialized by her side. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and whispered comfort, “It’s okay. Just relax. It’s not all on you”

“Ben has no idea who could’ve asked for a black book, or what for,” After reading a responding message from the Triad, Felicity decided to supply some kind of distraction. No one knew what was happening; it wasn’t just Pj. Yet her frustrations remained palpable. Michael and Nikita had tried to have her rest some more in the makeshift infirmary, but she absolutely refused. She stubbornly sat amidst the mess, Missy by her side. There was no use in starting an argument, so no one said a word. Besides, she had been handling it okay for a while. It was just steadily getting worse. 

“Maybe it’s not as world ending as we think,” Max moved closer to his sister, attempting to be positive. Just because they didn’t know anything, didn’t mean it was all going to go to shit. They could figure things out, and move forward- like they always did. The family had managed to reunite, after all. They still had things to work out, and talk about. Yet they were able to come back together after years of separation. If they could survive that heartbreak, they could do anything.

“Then what could it be?” Cassandra built off of her son’s optimism. They were assuming the black book was shared as payment. Whether that was for a good or a service, no one was sure where to begin. Other than, of course, that Amanda was scheming something. The scheme could be another power play, which wasn’t that world ending. Or she was planning on harming her enemies. She wouldn’t have to destroy the world to accomplish that. 

“Intel on us. Amanda doesn’t know as much as we thought,” Yet, Sonya’s speculation would be world shattering for the team. It was almost perfect that the bitch didn’t know anything about their children; she had only discovered Pj on accident. The most important people were held secret from their most vile enemy. If Amanda gathered intel on them, however, they were going to be hurt more than they could ever imagine.

“Or to continue whatever world ending shit she’s already doing,” Back to the dramatics, Birkhoff grumbled. Silence fell over the team for a moment. It was past ridiculous how out of the loop they were. All those years ago, when they had faced Division and Gogol, they could solve what was occurring. They had previous information to help them along. But with the Shop, they were completely lost. The only thing they knew was Amanda. Even that was a mystery, though.

Pj rapidly reached her boiling point. Her family needed answers; her family needed her. She was letting them down by not remembering what had happened to her while in Amanda’s clutches. She probably had a whole lot of information she could be sharing. Her mind was just completely blank. It wasn’t fair, “Why can’t I remember! I spent time with her. If I can remember, I can fix things.”

“Hey. It’s not your fault. We can solve this together. No one’s in this alone,” Nikita instantly soothed her daughter. She spared a quick concerned glance at Michael, before giving Pj all of her comforting attention. It wasn’t working all that well. She was so wound up and hellbent. Those things normally wouldn’t have been terrible, had the accompanying frustrations not overwhelmed her. Tears sprang to her eyes, and exhaustion wracked her body. She wanted to help. She needed to help. She had to fix it.

Uncertainty washed over everyone. They wanted to soothe Pj as well. But they didn’t want to smother her so much that she snapped again. Nikita had it under control, however. She got her daughter to breathe, and finally relax her tense shoulders. When she had finally settled, Michael told her about Birkhoff’s drone. She wasn’t the only one that could’ve had information of that night, “We still have the footage BUTR captured. That can tell us what other things were going on in the Shop facility.”

“There were other needles and chairs,” Quietly, James uttered the nightmarish image that plagued him. Sprinting through the Shop facility during the rescue mission, he had spotted quite a few empty rooms with the same kind of equipment used to torture Pj. He didn’t want to think what those needles were used for. Especially since his teammates had been strapped to those godawful things. But his mind constantly betrayed him. And he had to keep seeking Pj for assurance that it was alright. 

“So there could be others who went through what Sam did,” Kara voiced what most of the team had been thinking. After Pj’s rescue, the fear that she could’ve been like Owen/Sam gripped them. Everything seemed okay for the time being. Other than reeling from injuries, Pj was still herself. However, that didn’t mean she was the only other person to have been tortured by Amanda. So many people could be acting out of character, and serving her.

“Who? Amanda only fucked with Owen because of us,” Oliver wondered. If she were to mess with people’s brains, who would they even be. Sam and Pj made sense, in a twisted kind of way; hurting them had hurt the team. Doing the same to others didn’t make any sense- just like giving away the black book. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the two things were connected. Yet another piece was added to the complicated puzzle.

“Other important people,” Felicity attempted a solution. However, who the team considered important wasn’t going to match with who Amanda thought was. Not until they knew what she was scheming. Just about anybody could be under her manipulation. Or the other group’s manipulation- the team couldn’t forget they were involved too. The more they thought they had a grasp on things, the more questions arose. They would’ve thought they were used to it by that point in the crusade. Yet they were as frustrated as ever. 

“Okay, but Owen was Sam before. Amanda just undid her previous… whatever,” Attempting not to glance at Pj, Max didn’t want to buy into the Shop screwing with people’s minds. Sure, Amanda had already done all of that to Sam- she just reversed the process. But she couldn’t be poking around in others’ heads. That included his sister’s. He couldn’t bear thinking about that. Having gone through torture should’ve been enough.

Thoughts and ideas were split amongst the team. Some sided with Max- they didn’t want to consider the possibilities. But others knew exactly what Amanda was capable of; they wouldn’t put anything past that bitch. Sean had learned his lesson from dealing with her while working for Oversight. She was not one to underestimate, “There were tons of medical supplies. Maybe she’s just flatout brainwashing people.”

“Have we really gotten to that? Drugs and brain poking to make little minions,” Alex nearly laughed at the ridiculousness. The team almost joined in. But the mood and tension was too heavy. More gazes attempted not to glance at Pj. They couldn’t help but think of her, and their lack of knowledge of what she had endured. She knew what they were doing, and tried her best to ignore it. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to draw attention to it.

Fortunately, Birkhoff’s loud sigh and somehow audible eye roll captured everyone’s attention. He had made a joke about the Shop and spy-fi once. When he said it, however, he didn’t think the truth of it would bite the team in the ass. All those technological advancements he claimed domain of were bound to turn on him eventually. He just thought it’d be more war of the robots, than brainwashed people, “At this point, are we really surprised?”

Soft chuckles floated throughout the room. The team could let the absurdity of the situation lighten their mood. Everything was so ridiculous and confusing, how could they not shrug their shoulders and laugh it off. The small grins they flashed at each other at least had them relax for a second. Despite their anxiety and frustrations, they had one another in their lives. They all had instant support systems and love. Considering that, Sonya raised one more question about the possible mind control. They weren’t the only people in the world that had someone looking out for them, “You’d think people would notice if their friends and family were acting differently.”

“Is there any kind of chatter on this?” Cassandra focused the team’s attention on something productive. Ryan knew something had happened to Owen when he didn’t return from an op; it was obvious that he had become Sam. Pj, on the other hand, wasn’t acting out of the ordinary. She might have been healing from her trauma and injuries, but she wasn’t any different than normal. They couldn’t let their anxieties overwhelm them and force them to make stupid assumptions. They had work to do.

“Yeah. I think so,” Staring at the board of information, Ryan thought he had an idea. That was good enough for the team, and they quickly began to delve into what they could do next. Nikita had been right when she told Pj that no one was in that alone; they were going to get their answers together. Everyone was bound and determined.


	27. Chapter 26

They had left her behind. She knew there was a rational reason for it. Her shoulder and her thigh were badly injured. She could barely stand, let alone go on a mission. And she wasn't alone in the safehouse. All three nerds were with her, as well as Missy. Her dog could comfort her, as the Birkhoffs looked after her and provided tech support for the others. Hell, she could even supply her own thoughts on the operation and help here and there. She wasn't cut out of things. She just had to rest and heal. Although Pj knew it was a good thing to settle down and give herself a moment to breathe, she was so pissed.

Ryan had uncovered some intel on a German BND officer acting out of character. The chatter didn't appear that significant to the agencies he gathered it from, yet he believed it connected to whatever the hell Amanda was doing. The whole team rolled out to investigate the lead. They had devised some sort of plan that Pj only half listened to. She tried to concentrate on the discussion, yet after she heard she'd be staying back with the nerds she became frustrated. A part of her voiced that it wasn't fair. She deserved to be out in the fight with them. She should be out there and protect her family. It was stupid thoughts to have, though. She wouldn't have been able to be a successful agent with her injuries. She knew that.

So why was she furious. Maybe it was her recovery's fault. Healing from gunshot wounds took a lot out of Pj, as did coming down from an atrocious high. She probably needed to rest more. Sleep would've been good for her. The stress of an active mission she couldn't help on definitely didn't help. But she couldn't pull herself away from a computer screen. Felicity attempted to distract her with other things, but the pull of the mission was even too great for her. With everyone out in the field, the Birkhoffs needed to be on high alert. Communications had to be secured and properly routed, security feeds needed to be wiped and redirected, and urgent demands had to be followed. They were pulled in vastly different directions, busy as all hell.

Pj was kind of glad for it; it meant no one was paying attention to her. Despite being the best option for her to do, she couldn't rest. She had to figure things out, get the information her team desperately needed. There wasn't anything new she could obtain from the 'wall of crazy', not without taking a break and coming back with fresh eyes. But the footage from BUTR could be useful. Her parents had scoured through it earlier, studying her interrogation. And Alex and Sean watched the footage captured as they were raiding the place. No one had watched Amanda torture Pj, though. They didn't think they could handle it. She, on the other hand, was going to force herself to. There was a chance it could reconnect her missing memory.

With a mumbled excuse that she was going to her room to lay down, Pj hid the drive in her hand and shuffled away. Sonya spared her a glance to ensure she was alright, then dove right back into her hacking. The young woman (and the ever-following Missy) was left completely alone. She pulled out the laptop she had under her bed, settled as comfortably as she could against some pillows, and inserted the drive. Her heart got caught in her throat at the sight of her and Amanda. It was a tad difficult to breathe and think for a moment. Maybe there was a blessing in not remembering what had happened to her. She didn't have to face that trauma.

A bite of panic rose in Pj's chest. She had to swallow it down in order to press play. The footage was grainy and choppy; it was difficult to see what was happening. But she just brought the laptop closer to herself. She had to know what had happened. Her anxieties could be pushed aside to focus on the horrors she must've been through. After all, the interrogation didn't seem that bad. She just looked like she was laughing, affected by the drugs in her system. She couldn't remember anything new from watching herself. She just got the vague feeling that Amanda had inadvertently given up more than she had. If only she knew exactly how much was shared.

That fact about the Shop leaders being killed had slipped out of her earlier. Amanda must've told her about it, for some reason. Or she figured it out on her own. There had to have been something else Pj could remember. Yet forcing herself to think only made things worse. It was as though something was blocking her thoughts. Her mom had said it was the drugs; Ketamine could cause memory loss in high enough doses. But there had to have been some way to fight against that. She had beaten all kinds of crazy odds. Shouldn't she have been able to beat that as well.

Watching a needle get stuck in her nose caused phantom pain to flare. But other than that, Pj continued to draw a blank. The drone's footage didn't have any sound; all she had to help her was sight. Without her memory, however, it was as though what was occurring on screen had happened to another person. There was no way the torture had been real, not if she didn't know of the lasting affects. Her gunshot wounds weren't even a result of the intense interrogation, just her escape. Being high and having a bloody nose couldn't have been the only things to come out of her time with Amanda. Something had to have been going on with her.

Frustrations boiled through Pj. She hotly shoved her laptop away and rubbed at her tired eyes. It wasn't fair. Her team needed her to remember. That was the sole thing she had to do for them to help save the day. She had to remember what was done to her or what was said to her. She had to fix things. Why couldn't she fix things. What was so hard about recalling her torture. Wasn't she supposed to be the strong one. Wasn't she supposed to have better. Then why was she suffering. Why was she so weak.

There was a part of her screaming that she had to calm down. She needed to rest, breathe, talk to someone. Her family would be there to help her; she knew that above everything else. She wasn't alone. But Pj wouldn't listen to herself. She let her anger overwhelm her and shut down all rational thought. She believed the world was on her shoulders. She had to carry her team to victory. The pain and misery they faced would only go away if she did something about it. She had to fix things.

Somehow, her bitter thoughts turned towards her parents. They shouldn't have left. Pj wasn't just thinking about the current mission, however. Michael and Nikita shouldn't have left her nearly a decade ago. Once they had abandoned her to fight some fucking crusade, everything went to shit. They should've stayed and fought. Who cared about protecting her. Leaving was the worst possible choice. They were cowards. Her parents couldn't handle the war, so they ran away. Everyone was right when they said she was stronger than her parents. She never gave up or backed down.

Again, the back of Pj's mind was shouting that her parents weren't to blame. Nikita and Michael had done the best they could under the circumstances; she had stayed safe that entire decade hadn't she. Besides, it wasn't as though they had acted alone. Alex, Sean, Birkhoff, and Sonya separated themselves from their children too. They did it to save their family, and it had worked. It was too late for her rationality to argue that point, though. She was livid. Her parents were going to pay for their mistakes.

Allowing anger to wash over her and course through her veins numbed her. There was no other thought or feeling besides blinding rage. The pain of her injuries even dulled as the raging fury took over. Missy's head softly bumping against Pj's hand, begging for the pets she had stopped giving her, couldn't settle her. The wrath that had halted her mind was going to be felt. All the other missions and things she had to do with her team became nonexistent. Whatever torture she had faced would be nothing compared to what she was going to do to her enemies. Hell was about to rain down.

The drive was ejected from her laptop, and she returned it to the nerds' computers. Felicity, Birkhoff, and Sonya barely noticed her and Missy return to the room. The team was relaying information from the coms, and they had to focus on that. Pj didn't mind. She didn't even care about whatever intel they had gathered. With another mumbled excuse of resting and healing, she limped off with her dog right on her heels. Her own objective was in mind. Nothing could stop her from finally fixing things.


	28. Chapter 27

_Fifteen Years Earlier_

By habit, Michael and Nikita checked in on their daughter whenever they returned from a mission. Sometimes, she'd run into their arms, screeching and babbling as excitedly as a four year old could be that her parents came back home. But most of the time, Pj was dead asleep. They'd have much rather put her to bed themselves, but their ops often ran too late. There was no doubt she had fought sleep beforehand; her blankets and pillows were a mess, a result of trying as hard as she could to stay awake. Yet, she always lost. Nikita and Michael had mixed feelings over the fact. Although they were glad their daughter was actually sleeping and finally resting from her crazy toddler antics, they wanted to spend time with her. Missions left them more haggard than they cared to admit. Relaxing with Pj helped them settle, though.

The two let her continue sleeping that night, rejoining their team for a debrief. The others more than likely checked in on their sleeping children as well, if the small smiles were any indication. By all means, they should not be grinning after that pointless op. As long as they could return to their family, however, they considered everything was somewhat successful. Eventually, Michael and Nikita were able to trudge off to their bedroom. They shared light jokes here and there, mostly just to continue seeing the other smile. It would be alright; the two could have hope that the statement was true. While she simply collapsed on the bed mumbling some kind of quip, he chuckled and entered the connecting bathroom. She found herself laughing in return, and was ready with another joke. A bright, tiny voice interrupted her, though, "Mommy!"

"Bug!" Nikita immediately sat up, and caught her daughter as she jumped up on the bed. The team's voices must've carried as they debriefed, and woke Pj. Either that, or she really was picking up Michael's habit of needing little sleep. Nikita didn't necessarily care which was true. She just played with her daughter, getting her to squirm and giggle. The weight of the world that had settled on her shoulders began to disappear. All that mattered was Pj's happiness in that moment.

"Daddy!" That joy extended to Michael when he joined his wife and daughter in the bedroom. He was confused to see Pj so awake. But as she scrambled out of Nikita's arms to leap into his, he instantly beamed. He caught her before she could fall, and squeezed her tightly. Her laughter and screeching never ceased. She was constantly excited and giggly whenever her parents came home. It could've been just her being four years old. Her favorite people in the entire world were the ones who loved her more than anything. Except, Michael and Nikita had a sinking feeling that Pj knew they might not make it back from a mission one day. Considering her age, that was unlikely. But she had surprised them before.

"Little Miss!" Gently tossing his daughter on the bed, Michael pushed those thoughts away. Pj tried to get back on her feet, and dash towards her dad. But Nikita pulled her down. Her daughter did not appreciate the action. Stubbornly, she shoved away her mom's hands and got to her feet again. Pj wasn't able to escape fast enough, though. Both her parents softly knocked her back against the pillows. She fought Michael, Nikita, and her giggles; her only goal was to squirm out of their arms and attack them instead. There was no chance of success, not against them, "You're supposed to be in bed."

"You're not," Seriousness overcame Pj's features. She glanced at her mom and dad, unwilling to budge unless they did. Biting back laughter, Nikita cast a quick glance to her husband. Neither of them could deny their daughter's statement. They were still in their mission clothes, and the bed was still made. Michael thought about arguing that they were adults, so they had different rules. But he doubted that would've worked. Besides, his wife was staring at him and their daughter with complete joy in her gaze. Who was he to deny that.

"Fine. Just a couple more minutes," Michael relented. He tickled Pj on her side, and her seriousness faded into more giggling and squirming. Her parents laughed along with her, shedding their shoes and jackets. Nikita was quick to wrap her daughter up in her arms again, and torture her with raspberries and more tickles. They should've been more conscious of the noise level. The rooms in their latest safehouse were not the most soundproof. But hearing the toddler laugh uncontrollably was beyond joyful. They would never take away that happiness.

Soon, exhaustion overwhelmed Pj and she dramatically collapsed in her mom's arms. Although Nikita rolled her eyes, she smiled and shifted the toddler so that they both could sit comfortably. Michael settled himself as close to his wife and daughter as possible. Pj began to sleepily babble about her day, or whatever else was important to a four year old. Michael and Nikita did their best to listen and respond, yet they were too swayed by the moment. She rested her head on her daughter's and glanced dreamily at her husband. He was so stunned by the image in front of him, that he absentmindedly nodded as a small voice asked, "A couple more?"

"You're wrapped around her finger," Nikita muttered to her husband as Pj beamed over the fact that she could stay up later. The toddler babbled even more, her talking points becoming increasingly animated. Michael just chuckled and shrugged. So what if he was wrapped around his daughter's finger, he was already wrapped around his wife's- a fact she loved to hold over him. Those couple more minutes didn't last as long as Pj had thought. She quickly fell back to sleep. Placing tender kisses to her forehead, her parents carried her to bed. All three Mears-Bishops managed to sleep peacefully throughout the rest of the night; their time together making everything perfect.

_Present_

Pj pretended to be asleep when her parents checked in on her. She had heard the team return from the mission, and knew Michael and Nikita were going to immediately swing by her room. Rapidly, she tucked the notes she had been making under her blankets and slumped against the pillows. She didn't want to talk to them, or even see them. Fortunately for her, they bought her act. They simply watched her 'sleep' for a minute before rejoining the team for a debriefing. She sighed in relief once they were gone, struggling to sit back up. If dogs could cast judging looks, Missy certainly did. But she ignored it. There were far more important things to focus on.

Her notes were dug back out of the blanket, and she scanned the sprawled writing to see where she had left off. Pj was determined to jot down every single piece of information or strange connection she could recall about Amanda and the Shop. Maybe if it was important enough to stick in her mind, then maybe it could lead her somewhere in that goddamn war. However, as she began writing again, footsteps approached her room. Her parents had left the door open, so she was able to see who was coming. It was just James, probably on his way to his own room. She was contemplating whether or not to feign sleep again, when he took off his dirty t-shirt. The action momentarily stunned her, allowing him to spot her, "Hey! You're up."

"Uh. Yeah. Just jotting down some notes. How was the op?" Pj hid her notepad, and the blush that crept up on her cheeks. She wasn't sure why she was blushing. It wasn't as though she hadn't seen James topless before. Yet it was different between them since their conversation the other night. Both of them could feel it. They were teetering towards something that she was unsure of. Whether she was scared or excited, she had no idea. He entered her room with a brilliant smile on his face, though, and she was able to push all of that aside.

"Pretty good. That BND officer had some inconsistencies in his blood during the autopsy. We're thinking Amanda could've drugged him," Explaining the details of the mission, James gently sat on the edge of the bed. He scratched Missy's fur, but his eyes never left Pj's. The sincerity didn't have her squirming away; it was the way his gaze faltered when he mentioned Amanda and drugs. She knew her team thought something was wrong with her because of that fact. She had caught the stares and whispers. She just didn't think they would buy into their anxieties, least of all James. He attempted to cover for himself, stating awkwardly, "But I'm sure you're fine."

"Oh I'm always super fine," Her voice didn't have the usual teasing edge to it, however. She could easily say she was tired, yet they both knew the truth. Something had happened to her while she was with Amanda, and the fact that no one knew the extent of it frustrated them. Their anxieties were going to tear them down, even if they were fighting against it. Her quip landed flat, leaving Pj and James to just stare at each other. He moved to comfort her, but she shifted away. She didn't need to hear it then. She didn't think she'd ever want to hear it, "You should probably shower."

James' own blush crept up on him as he realized he was sitting in her bed without a shirt on. He clumsily made his way out of the room to clean off the mission grime. However, he swore he'd be back and they were going to talk; he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Pj didn't say anything. After he left, she attempted to refocus on her notes again. It was a struggle, one she was going to lose. Her team kept interrupting her. She had to find a place more isolated. Those thoughts disappeared as rapidly as they came. She was tempted to dwell on them, yet rising voices carrying through the open door distracted her. She was able to recognize one of them as her mother, "She's my daughter, Ryan! I can't make those assumptions."

She fought every urge to get out of bed and see what was going on. She wasn't supposed to care what everyone else was up to. She had her own agenda and mission. Yet Nikita's anxiousness drew Pj in. A part of her wanted to comfort her mom, despite how angry she was. For some reason, that feeling pissed her off even more and she remained rooted in her spot. Ryan's voice was quieter as it floated into her bedroom; she had to strain to hear it, "But you have noticed her acting differently."

"Of course I have. She's angry and obsessed, and she won't talk about what happened. But how much of that is Amanda, and how much is just my nineteen year old daughter?" Instantly, Nikita snapped. She had a point. Amanda might have fucked with Pj like she had Sam and the BND officer. But how much damage had she caused in the time that she had her captive. If she had hurt Pj that drastically at all. Yes she was acting differently. Yet they could blame it all on her recovery and shock. At least, they wanted to.

"We can't accuse her of being mind controlled, or whatever, without evidence," Although stern, Michael was gentler with his tone. They could be cautious with Pj and watch out for the signs of whatever Amanda was doing. But the team couldn't label her mind controlled without proof. That would cause more anger and frustration to course through her. And it might create a bigger rift between everyone. Tensions and relationships were strung tight enough as it was. They couldn't add fuel to the fire.

They were also discussing Nikita and Michael's daughter. The two wouldn't allow themselves to think the worst of her. She was strong and capable, and to think that Amanda had her claws in her hurt. Pj had enough of just listening by that point. She forced herself to get out of bed and walk down the hall. She'd find the three talking and put an end to it. They didn't understand what she was thinking or feeling. Especially Ryan, "But we need to be cautious."

"I know. I know. But we don't have anything substantial. Our anxieties can't get in the way again. Piper hates us enough as it is," Nikita's confession made Pj pause. Did her mom actually think that. Did she actually feel that. Her emotions were firing around wildly, she couldn't make sense of anything. All she knew as fury and determination. It didn't seem right. But that was all she could focus on. Curling her fists, she marched forward. She rapidly became blinded by rage once more.

"She doesn't hate us," With no effect on Nikita or the eavesdropping Pj, Michael's words were left hanging uselessly in the air. The simple solution to everything was to talk. Misunderstanding and hurt could go away if they just said what was on their minds. But was talking really that easy. How did they know they weren't going to make things worse. How did they know if they were going to be able to put their thoughts into the right words. Everything kept snowballing faster and faster. There had to be an end soon.

"I do," Nikita mumbled. She hated a lot of the things the team had done- a lot of the things she had done. She didn't believe there could ever be atonement for it. She simply had to not make the same mistakes again in the future. But she believed she was always terrible at that. Fortunately, her daughter shuffled into the room, distracting her. The weight of the world was lifted at one glance towards Pj. A soft smile etched across her lips, and she was able to speak far more calmly, "Hey, Bug. You're supposed to be sleeping."

"We need to talk," Acid dripped off her tongue, unwilling to budge unless her parents did.


	29. Chapter 28

“Did I see you come out of Pj’s room shirtless?” After James had showered and changed, Kara burst into his room. He hated that she had startled him. He should’ve been used to his sister barging in on his privacy. Then again, being a triplet didn’t afford him any privacy. Living in a safehouse as one giant team/family didn’t help matters. If he ever wanted a moment alone with Pj, he’d have to seriously plan or sneak around. Otherwise, everyone would know their business. Not like they had any business anyway. He was trying, and he thought she was too. But nothing seemed to be working out.

Regardless of any of that, he had Kara to deal with at the moment. James really didn’t want to be teased by her or have to defend himself. Nothing had happened. Although they were talking (and he swore he saw her blush), it was like Pj was somewhere else. Her mind was probably on the notes she was writing but wouldn’t let him see. It was a repeated thought when it came to her, yet something was going on. He didn’t want to dwell on it. He wanted everything to be perfect and normal. In that war, however, that was never going to be possible. And with his too close of a family, there was never going to be peace. Oliver was next in teasing him, breaking into his room as well, “Dude, come on. She’s injured.”

“We were just talking,” James was a bit too defensive, he knew. But he had closed his door for a reason; he wanted to collect his thoughts before talking to Pj. Maybe something useful would come from their conversation. Finally, they could discuss their emotions without someone interrupting or their own stubbornness took over. That was the hope, anyway. Kara and Oliver were just being annoying. He shouldn’t have expected anything less from his brother and sister, though. Ever since Pj’s rogue stint, the two had been relentless in teasing him about his feelings. He probably deserved it for all the times he had made fun of them for their relationships with Felicity and Max. But couldn’t they see he was stressed and leave him alone.

“Kissing,” He had no such luck. As James attempted to escape from his room, Kara and Oliver bit back. Harshly, he turned back around to glare at them. The two simply began to laugh. Their parents always told them that if their siblings were being annoying, the best thing to do was ignore them. But that was always easier said than done. The triplets knew exactly what to say and do to get under each other’s skin. Singing the ‘k-i-s-s-i-n-g’ song was definitely one of those ways. He thought he was going to strangle his brother and sister. 

If Pj was there, he couldn’t even imagine how embarrassed he’d have been. Surprisingly, James didn’t care if she knew that he did in fact want to kiss her; that’d certainly help him admit his feelings. However, there was no doubt she’d be taunting him over the admission as well. He couldn’t forget the way she had teased him when they had reunited at the fighting ring. She was so sarcastic and self assured, fully knowing the effect she had on him. Normally, he’d have no doubts that she’d continue to act like a smartass. But recently, her sarcasm has become more biting than light. A simple conversation between them had even been weighted, “I was telling her what happened.”

“You protest too much,” Kara called her brother out. She and Oliver didn’t seriously think James and Pj had kissed. It was just fun to make fun of him, especially with how hard he was blushing. They also were striving to lighten the mood around the safehouse. It was always fun and relaxing when they could hang out as friends and as a family. Those moments didn’t used to be rare. They used to spend so much more time together messing around than training or planning. But, again, things had been off lately.

“Just admit it. You made the moves on a gunshot victim,” Oliver smirked, nudging James just a bit too hard. Before he could retaliate, Kara pushed her brothers apart. She was giggling, though. And so was Oliver. James wanted to be pissed at his brother and sister, yet he simply sighed and flashed his own grin. He’d get them back eventually. For the meantime, he could allow the ridiculousness of the situation to wash over him. He really did walk into Pj’s room topless. Although he hadn’t intended to, he was still so focused on her that he forgot to pull his shirt back on. His feelings for her were stronger than he thought. 

Kara and Oliver, on the other hand, could read their brother like a book. They continued to tease him, pestering James on when he was going to tell Pj. He did a far better job at ignoring them that time, and he fired back with his own quips about their relationships. It used to be strange to think that after growing up together, they had developed feelings for their friends. But, honestly, it seemed kind of natural. They already knew the best and worst of each other, yet chose to spend time together anyway. It was sort of perfect. And that included everyone’s bad habit of barging into rooms and butting into conversations, like Felicity did, “Jamie, she was sleeping.”

“She was writing stuff in her notebook,” James rolled his eyes. He wasn’t defending himself anymore, simply stating the fact. Felicity appeared confused by it. Thinking it over, she sat on the bed. Oliver, naturally, settled next to her. The team hadn’t asked what had happened at the safehouse while they were gone on the mission. They assumed it was the standard hacking and yelling over coms. It might have been for the Birkhoffs. But Pj was possibly up to something else. By that point, were they really that surprised. It was simply one more different thing.

“Pj sat down long enough to write? That’s a first,” Max was the one to comment on it, standing close to Kara as he entered the room. James could only shrug, and admit he didn’t get a good look at what she was writing. Felicity argued Pj had slept through the mission, so it couldn’t have been about that. But Max disagreed; his sister was way too stressed about their family to be able to rest. No one could say anything against that. She had lied to them, again. All of those concerning things she had been doing couldn’t be ignored anymore. They had to do something. 

“We should check it out,” Determined to figure everything out, Kara suggested. Whatever uncomfortable feeling they had about prying into Pj’s privacy was shoved aside. Her safety could have been at stake- the whole family’s really. And they’d do anything to ensure they didn’t lose anyone else. No one was sure how they were going to get the notebook from her. But bursting into her room would’ve at least done something. When they arrived, however, the door was shut and Missy was standing guard in front of it. She didn’t growl at them, yet she also didn’t budge when they ordered her to move. They probably could’ve shoved past the dog. The thought of the bite Alex had sustained kept them in place, though.

“We need to tell our parents,” Gravely, Felicity concluded. What could’ve been happening to Pj was a family issue. The team couldn’t keep their thoughts to themselves; that wasn’t going to help her or anybody. Together, they were going to figure things out. And maybe they could return to how they once were. Considering all the things they had done, that might not have been possible. But they could believe they’d be able to have simpler times again- they could be like a normal family.

Despite their best wishes, they heard yelling as they went to find the other members of their team. Different arguments had erupted in separate areas of the safehouse. There was no doubt what it could’ve been about. What else had been plaguing their minds for days, “They already know.”

“Okay. But Ketamine doesn’t do that to your blood,” Alex was frustrated. She felt as though the argument kept circling around itself. Alright, fine, so something was up with Piper- she’d admit that. But it couldn’t have been to the extent some were claiming. It shouldn’t have been. Amanda was an evil, despicable, bitch. Yet Piper was her mother’s daughter. She wouldn’t hurt their family or anyone else she cared about. Alex wouldn’t let herself go down that rabbithole of what ifs. She wouldn’t believe she was brainwashed.

“So you’re saying they’re unrelated?” Sonya retaliated. The BND officer who had been acting out of character had something in his system that altered his blood. It was possible some sort of drug that Amanda had pumped him with. They might have thought Piper was only injected with Ketamine, but they could’ve missed something. They couldn’t ignore the fact that Amanda had drugged and tortured her. Maybe she came out completely fine. Yet they knew that wasn’t the case. As much as the team didn’t want to, they had to admit it.

“No. I’m saying it’s different,” Too stubborn to back down, Alex shook her head. Piper and the BND officer were different. Whereas he had inconsistencies in his autopsy, she checked out (other than the gunshot wounds and infections). There was no evidence to support drug induced brainwashing. However, as Sean pointed out, the same could be said for Sam. Amanda just poked around in his head for a bit. If that was enough to make Owen turn, then Piper might not have fared any better. Yet Alex just kept shaking her head, “I think we’re missing something.”

“Like how the autopsy report you found doesn’t match what’s currently in the system,” Birkhoff supplied. Shocked glances turned his way, and he indicated what he had found on his computer. The whole German spy acting different thing creeped him out, so he decided to dig a little more into it. Ryan couldn’t have possibly been the only one to notice the strange behavior. If there were coverups, however, that’d explain why it had never been brought up before. The agents hoped that it was only a mistake- a mixup at the lab. Yet the nerds confirmed it was hacking, plain and not-so-simple. 

Fortunately, the team had the real report. They had something to prove that Amanda was up to something. Except, they had no idea what she was planning. If she had solved a way to mind control people, it would make sense why she would target members of their team. A German spy was in no way, shape, or form connected to them. Frustrations started to take hold of them tightly. Nothing was making any sense and it was driving them insane. Cassandra could barely speculate about her own past experience with cover ups and conspiracies, “Division used to replace people. And they were very good at it.”

“You think the BND officer was replaced by Amanda?” Able to complete the thought for her, Sean was bewildered. Sure, that would’ve explained the inconsistencies in his blood and with his behavior. But replacing a person couldn’t have been that simple. The only reason it worked for Division was because members of the inner circle were in on the secret; anything weird could’ve been covered by someone. The German spy was too complex. There was no way it could’ve been pulled off.

“What if the BND guy was both replaced and mind controlled?” Birkhoff suggested a way, though. Why shouldn’t both of their theories as to what was occurring be combined into one; Amanda was sick enough to think it. Yet the team didn’t want to consider that possibility. Especially as their minds drifted to Piper. It just always seemed like the worst case scenario for them. They could fight the anxiety and dread as hard as they could, but they’d always have to face the truth. Even if it hurt.

“I hate that that makes sense,” Finally, Alex stopped arguing. The team was right. Amanda was utilizing mind control and replacements as part of her plan- whatever the fuck that might’ve been. And Piper was somehow a part of that. They had to do something to save her and the world. Hopefully, they’re not too late.


	30. Chapter 29

"We need to talk," Acid dripped off her tongue, unwilling to budge unless her parents did. Michael and Nikita shared a quick glance, before focusing on their daughter. They weren't certain what she wanted to discuss, but it couldn't have been good. Pj's lividity was radiating off of her. That was probably what was helping her stand upright despite her injuries. Fury filled her every move. Ryan was smart in excusing himself. He didn't need to be involved. There was no doubt things were going to explode between the Mears-Bishops.

"Okay. What do you want to say?" Nikita attempted to be open. A part of her wanted to match Pj's anger and snap back. Everything that could've gone wrong was crashing to the surface. She wanted to be just as furious as her daughter. But being rational won over. Someone had to remain calm if they were going to actually talk. It wouldn't do any of them any good to be overwhelmed by emotions. Pulling out a chair, Nikita indicated for her daughter to sit. Pj simply slumped against a wall, however, using the stability to support her weight.

If she was being honest, she wasn't expecting her mother's response. Pj thought a fight would immediately break out between her and her parents; she had prepared for that. Though, thinking about it, she wasn't prepared for anything. Her demand to talk had come from nowhere. Even her march down the hallway seemed to have been an untraceable thought. It was like she was driven by something else. But when she tried to figure out what that could've been, her mind blanked. She was left fighting for control of herself, causing the words to just blurt out of her mouth, "You left."

Michael and Nikita had expected her to bring that up. Just because they had reunited, didn't mean their past mistakes had been atoned for. Of course Pj would continue to feel hurt by their actions. She had been so young when they had left. Yet the two intended to spend the rest of their lives making up for that fact. Their daughter had to know how much she was loved and cherished. Everything they did, they did for her. Those explanations weren't needed at the moment, though. A simple, sincere apology would perfectly express their thoughts and feelings, "We know, and we're so sorry."

"What happened to 'family is everything'?" Finally, the argument was going where Pj wanted it to. She could let her rage overwhelm her. That anger seemed to have been more real than the one that caused her to stomp into the room. She wasn't certain how that could've been, but it just was. She had let the hurt of her parents' actions fester in her for years. She had hardly let it show to the other kids, or even Ryan and Owen. More focused on bringing everyone home, she buried all those complicated feelings away. There were times when it slipped to the surface, but she was able to keep it at bay. That wasn't the case any longer.

"We thought it was the best way to keep you safe," Neither Michael nor Nikita knew whether they should comfort their daughter or not. Instincts told them to go to Pj and hold her. Yet experience kept them back. Sometimes, it was best to let all that hurt and anger out in the open. They'd be able to process it and move towards something better. Keeping in those ill feelings was only going to eat them alive. The two should let their daughter scream it out, feel everything she was holding back. It was just tortuous watching her struggle.

"No. You were cowards. You could've stayed to fight. Instead, you just ran," Her furious thoughts from earlier bubbled out of her like bile. Pj didn't think she would ever voice that opinion. She figured they would stay locked inside her like all her other complicated feelings. However, it flowed out of her along with her lividity. She couldn't hold anything back anymore. And she didn't want to fight it. It felt wrong to accuse her parents of such things. But letting her pent up rage consume her seemed like the right course of action.

"I know it's painful, and we've made some serious mistakes. But I hope you know that we would do anything to ensure your safety," Slowly, Nikita took careful steps towards Pj. Moving was the only way she could combat the feeling of being gutted. She was aware that her daughter held onto resentments. God knew she hated herself for what she had done. But she didn't expect it to be so powerful that it streamed out of Pj in angry pants- that she drew herself as far away from her mother as possible, crossing her arms to guard herself.

"But not my happiness right? Because fuck that or ever ending this fucking war," There was an edge to Pj's voice that mixed fury with tears. Nikita paused when she heard it. For half a second, she contemplated the fact that her daughter didn't want to be saying those things; she was uttering dark thoughts that should've never seen the light of day. But maybe it was just her own reluctance to see her in so much pain. She wanted to find fault in it, and argue against it. But she had to accept the ill feelings.

Shaking his head, Michael dared to cross closer to his daughter. It was one thing to feel hurt. Yet it was another to let it blind you. He was well aware of the dangers of being blinded by pain. He wouldn't have Pj experience the same fate. They were going to end their war with the Shop; they were going to bring justice to the world and finally be free. It was simply going to take time. Time was the only thing they could utilize to remove evil from the world, "We'll get there. We're trying…"

"Oh my God. Will you shut the fuck up! Stop with promising a happily ever after when you can't deliver it. Stop blaming Amanda or the Shop for every single fucking thing. You're at fault too. If you stop fighting amongst yourselves and if you stop thinking that just because I'm angry that there's something wrong with me, then we can win. We can fix things," Pj snapped. She had had enough of the false hope and distant end. They had to act immediately. There were so many chances at Amanda that they had missed because of Nikita and Michael's ignorance. But not anymore. She was going to do something about it.

However, her parents were in the way. They were staring at her in shock. If her mom and dad would move, she could continue on her mission. She didn't know what that mission was, though. And she didn't understand why she didn't just push past them. She was rooted in her spot, conflicting with herself over something. Nikita broke her out of that spell by approaching her once more. Pj didn't move that time, but she did glare. The look had no affect on her mother. She regarded her strangely, and asked in a strained voice, "Fix what?"

"Everything!" Was the only answer Pj could come up with. She knew she had to fix things. It was all on her to fix things. But she couldn't actually think of what it was. Michael and Nikita had an idea, though. She had been repeating that she had to fix everything since they had rescued her from Amanda. Although her progression to that moment hadn't been immediate and she appeared to have been fighting some of her thoughts, something had been done to her mind. There was no use denying that fact any longer. Some sort of idea or plan had been planted and she was obsessed with following it.

"What needs fixed, Piper? What specifically can you fix?" Michael attempted to get her to talk about it. She was thinking something else; he noticed the conflicted expression crossing his daughter's face. Yet Pj didn't seem to be able to speak about her confusion. Everytime it dawned on her, frustrations enveloped her. She was allowing the fury to take over her whenever she felt out of control. He wasn't sure if he could blame that on her or not. The extent of what Amanda had done remained so painfully unclear. Who knew what was his daughter and what was something else.

She was at least putting more thought in her answer that time. Yet Pj's green eyes were roaming around the room, frantic for some kind of clue of what was occurring. She didn't know anything. All she had were intense feelings to operate off of. Her anger made sense, but not whatever facts she was considering. Were they even facts. No, they had to be. She was smarter than that. Her irritability was valid. Nikita and Michael had left her. It was their fault, "This war! Our family! Or whatever's left of it after you disappeared."

"You went rogue from your team," Nikita reminded her, nearly emotionless. She was trying so hard to keep her own anger out of the conversation. She wasn't pissed at Pj, though a few of her admissions had stung. She was simply ready to kill Amanda. The blinding rage she felt for that bitch had her ready to destroy every single fucking thing the Shop had. But she had to focus on her daughter first. Whatever had been done to her had to have been realized. It was different from Owen/Sam. She could fight back if she saw what was wrong.

"That was different. I was actually getting shit done," Pj's stubbornness took over, however, and she wouldn't listen. Frustrations rolled off of her. Whether that was frustration over being confused, or because her parents wouldn't hear her, was unclear even to her. She just wanted things to be simple and make sense again- things did a few days prior. What had changed to make her so angry. Why couldn't she think, only feel. Maybe it was the war; their crusade was getting to her. The war her mom and dad had started so long ago had dragged their daughter under.

"And we weren't? We weren't doing something important?" By that point, Michael was only trying to quell the argument. He didn't necessarily care if he was seen as right or not. He just needed Pj to stop fighting against him and Nikita. They were attempting to help her understand her confusion. If she let them in, they could actually help her settle and calm down. However, that didn't appear to be happening anytime soon. She crossed her arms tighter against herself, clutching her fists and hardening her glare.

Nikita had stepped close enough to her daughter to touch her. But she held back. She connected her brown eyes with her green, and poured out every ounce of sincerity she had. Pj was going to fight and claw her way to the truth, whether her emotions wanted her to or not. That anger couldn't cloud her judgement any longer. She had to be herself again, "Think for a second, Pipes. You don't shift blame like this. You know what makes sense and what doesn't. You have to think."

"You don't get to tell me anything anymore. You gave up the right to be my parents when you left. I don't need you. You're only going to screw it up even more. You've ruined enough already," She was only saying that to hurt. Frustrations and confusion had completely overcome Pj. She barely even acknowledged that she was speaking to her mom and dad- she was talking to the two people who would give up their lives for her own. She only saw them as Nikita and Michael, the two agents who had left her. Nothing else seemed to exist, and that made her even angrier.

"Piper Jade. Sweetie. Think, please. What needs fixing? How are you going to end this war? You wanted to talk, so talk. Don't just accuse," Nikita wasn't going to give up. Despite so much pain, hurt, and furiousness rising through her, she was going to help her daughter. Pj was going to see the truth, then they were going to burn Amanda to the ground. There was a glimmer of recognition in her eyes, as though she was trying her best to think. She was fighting so hard. But she was losing so fast.

"You need to focus. Think. Don't just feel," Reaching for her, Michael gave her one more lifeline to hold on to. Pj wanted to grab it; she knew she should've grabbed it. Yet how could her parents be so concerned for her then. Where were Michael and Nikita for almost a decade of her life. She had survived without them. She could continue to do so. Harshly, she slapped her dad's hand away from her. That was it. She was done with them. So with an unsteady push of the wall, she started to march out of the room.

"Fuck you," As soon as the bitter words left her mouth, Nikita grabbed onto Pj tightly. She wasn't going to let her go. And neither was Michael. They pulled her back, and she began to fight against them. Her injuries weren't of any help, however. Her parents were able to hold to her forcefully. She was trapped. How the fuck was she supposed to fix things then.


	31. Chapter 30

_Twenty Years Earlier_

"What's it say?" Michael rejoined Nikita in the bathroom, once the five minute timer rang. He unsteadily sat on the edge of the tub, fists clenched tightly. He honestly didn't think he could sit, but he wanted to be at his wife's eye level. She was perched on top of the toilet seat lid, brown eyes transfixed on the test in her hand. She wouldn't tear her attention away, or respond at all. It was like she was trying to process the news she just received. It shouldn't have been a surprise to her, not with the symptoms she had been experiencing (and with what she had learned from Alex and Sonya). But she was still shocked. That could not be happening.

"We're screwed," Eventually, Nikita gave the test to her husband and stalked out of the bathroom. It was Michael's turn to just stare at what he was seeing. He had always thought about it. He always thought about the two of them living on a beach somewhere with a dog and a baby. But that was far off in the future; that was after the war when they could be free and settle down. Nothing else in their lives went according to plan, however. So why should that. Why should they have the easy things in life. It was just one blow after another.

Shaking off his shock, Michael dumped the positive pregnancy test and chased after Nikita. She had only made it as far as their bedroom. She paced back and forth, hands trembling as they pulled at her hair. He had seen her employ those tactics to calm herself down so many times. Usually, it happened during a mission she couldn't control, or hearing information she didn't want to know. Yet then it seemed more frantic and severe. She was about to lose it. Although he had his own panic rising, he couldn't let her spiral, "Okay. Well, it's not that bad. I mean, it's not like there aren't other kids."

"That's the thing, Michael! We already have four kids that depend on us. Four kids that are involved in this fucking war. We can't add more," She snapped. It wasn't fair of her to shout at her husband; there was no doubt he was anxious as well. But it was just too much. Nikita had seen Alex and Sean go through hell with their surprising triplets three years previously. And Birkhoff and Sonya went through the same with their daughter a year after that. Everything changed in an instant. Their war against Amanda, the Shop, and the Dirty Thirty became so complicated, the end they once saw in sight was gone. How could she add to that.

"They're not involved. Their identities are safe. They're protected," Immediately, Michael argued. Sure, Kara, Oliver, and James Pierce had been the surprise of the decade. And so had Felicity Birkhoff when they thought everything was said and done. But the team had adjusted like they always did. They ensured the kids were safer than even them. Their identities were nowhere to be found, and they were constantly watched inside and out of the safehouse. The kids had the best support and love they could receive from their large family. They were in no way shape or form connected to their parents' war. They were separate and safe.

Nikita had been the one to assure Alex, Sean, Birkhoff, and Sonya of that. She had taken charge of solving the problems that arose, and she had implemented the precautions they had in place. Michael might have been the baby whisperer, helping the new parents calm screaming babies and change diapers. But Nikita was the calming force of the team. She made it so everything would be alright; she knew her family could survive the challenges. When it came to herself, however, she had always felt she was unworthy of such praise, "For now. But what'll happen if we have a kid? I mean. I'm the reason we're fucking here. My kid… my baby's gonna be messed up."

"No it's not, Nikita," Michael had to admit that Amanda did have all of her focus on Nikita. When it came down to it, the bitch would do anything to hurt her former student. Their child could be put in the crosshairs as a result. But he wouldn't allow himself to succumb to those thoughts. The two of them were more capable than that. They never let anything happen to their team, of course that would extend to their child. Neither of them were going to mess it up. Just like the other kids, theirs was going to know so much love and support it'd be ridiculous.

"You don't know that. We don't know anything. We can't give these kids a normal life. I can't give our kid… I'm not mother material, Michael," Not listening, Nikita was back to pacing. She had stopped ruffling her dark hair to hold herself instead. The news of her pregnancy should have been something worth celebrating. For normal couples, having a baby was a joyous occasion. Hell, she had seen her friends excited over their own news after their initial shock. But she didn't see that for herself. She was too messed up to not screw things up for her child. All she wanted was to give it a normal, happy life. Yet, how could she when she didn't have that.

"You do great with the triplets and Felicity. And Kara adores you, just like her mother," He reached for his wife, attempting to settle her. They had had that argument before. But that time, Michael had evidence to dispute her. Nikita was a great aunt to the kids. She played with them, protected them, and helped their parents whenever they were overwhelmed. With him as her partner and her family at her back, she was going to be an amazing mother. He believed her to be perfect in everything she did. The new adventure they were embarking on wouldn't be any different.

Except, even after years of him telling her how wonderful she was, she still wouldn't believe it. Nikita shook her head and tore away from her husband. Babysitting the kids and helping her friends wasn't the same as raising a child. There was no way she could've done that. Michael had been an excellent father to Hayley and Max; raising the new baby would come naturally to him. But she never had any experience with that. And she certainly didn't have any role models to look towards. She was going in blind and without any control. Her enemies still out there wishing to do her harm wasn't helping, "But they're not mine. I can't let our baby be involved in this. If Amanda finds out…"

"She won't. Hey. She won't. She doesn't know about the kids," Michael gently pulled Nikita back into him. She didn't fight his grip. As surprising as that fact was, it was true. Neither Amanda, the Shop, nor the Dirty Thirty were aware of the Pierce and Birkhoff children. It was a lot of hard work from the team to ensure that, but the payoff was beyond incredible. They had all decided long ago that the children's safety took precedence. They could delay some aspects of their war for them. The kids were worth it.

"That's because we faked Max's death, and the other four don't even have real birth certificates," Despite her abrasive mutter, Nikita didn't leave Michael's side. He was making valid arguments. She was just too consumed by her anxieties to really listen. Besides, she had her own true statements to make. They had faked Max's death what felt like forever ago to protect him from his parents enemies. And the toddlers running around the safehouse didn't have any official records. That was going to protect them, sure. Yet what kind of life was that. She couldn't subject her child to that.

"And you're saying we can't hide our baby?" Michael flashed her a smirk, his green eyes lighting. He meant to tease a bit, help her see how crazy her panic was making her. Not that her anxiety wasn't warranted; he was freaking out over having a baby as well. There were so many things they had to do, and their lives were going to drastically change once again. But they could do it. They were the Mears-Bishops, after all. Despite his confidence, Nikita looked away from him. She was attempting to hide her thoughts, unwilling to let him in. He wasn't going to let her hide, however. Tenderly, he lifted her chin so that their eyes met. His voice grew soft and full of concern, "Nikita. Talk to me. What is it?"

"You've seen my life. What makes you think I can raise and protect a child?" The words barely made it past her lips. It was as though she was ashamed to admit it. For the past couple of years, she had watched her friends struggle through parenthood. They were excellent with their children. And although she knew she would love her child, she didn't think she could survive those struggles. Michael definitely could, no question. Yet he had always been better and stronger than her. He was built for a normal steady life with children. She unfortunately wasn't.

"You've been helping Alex, Sean, Birkhoff, and Sonya do that for the past three years. And I'm pretty sure Alex would agree with me that you raised her too," Her husband was not going to give up. He swore to her once that he was going to teach her to love herself. That didn't change as everything else did around them. Michael was determined to have Nikita see herself the way that he saw her. And one day, he was going to do the same for their child. No one he loved was ever going to think poorly of themselves. He was going to ensure they knew how amazing they were.

A small smile pulled at the corner of Nikita's mouth. Michael and Alex were her number one supporters; those two would say anything positive about her. Maybe they were right in some regards. She could be fierce, unstoppable, and a force to be reckoned with. She just never saw herself as the soft and caring type. She was constantly in awe that she had such a large family surrounding her. She also had no idea how she became a wife, an aunt, and then a mother. How did an orphaned streetrat like her get so lucky. It must've been some kind of mistake. One she didn't wish on her unborn child, "I don't want our baby to turn out like me."

"You don't want our kid to be smart, beautiful, kickass, and kind?" He knew what she was getting at, but he wouldn't let her go there. The war with the Shop might've still been raging, but that wasn't her fault. Nikita had to see the positives about herself and the situation. They were all a family because of her. They had safety and love because of her. Michael circled his arms tight around her waist so she couldn't escape. The two could be apprehensive about the future, but it wasn't allowed to consume them. He had spent so much time drowning in the negatives, he wouldn't let her do the same.

"Michael…"

"Nikita. You're not your foster parents. And I'm gonna be with you every step of the way. So will your family. You're not alone," Taking a guess at what some of her doubt came from, Michael stated as seriously as he had ever been. There was no way in the world Nikita could be like her foster parents. The fact that she was already so concerned about their baby's life and security, despite just discovering that she was pregnant, was proof enough of that. Besides, it wasn't as though raising a child was a solo mission. Her partner was going to be by her side no matter what, as will the family she had built around her.

"What if I'm like my mom?" Nikita's quiet question froze Michael. His attempts at calming her and reassuring her had worked for some of her other anxieties. However, there was still one disturbing problem. What if she died in childbirth like her birth mother. She didn't have to say that outloud, thankfully. Her husband understood her meaning. Instantly, he pulled her in for a tighter embrace. She curled into the warmth of him, and took a deep breath. Both tried not to picture that possibility. He did a better job at it than her. But maybe that was just his overprotectiveness kicking in. He swore to God (or whoever was listening) that he would do anything he could to keep his wife and child safe and alive.

"I think you and I are way too stubborn to let that happen. We're too stubborn and too protective for anything bad to happen to our baby."

_Present_

"Did Amanda fucking manipulate my daughter?" Nikita tore into the great room, lividity causing her fists to shake at her sides. After she and Michael got Pj somewhere safe- somewhere she couldn't hurt herself or others- she rushed to join her team. Ryan kept saying something was going on with Piper. If he was right about that, then he had a theory about what could've been done to her. Nikita needed to know immediately. She needed to know so she could help her daughter and finally kill Amanda.

"That'll explain the drugs and poking around. Suggestive mind control," Ryan was the first to collect his thoughts. He glanced between the information the team had compiled and Nikita, unsure of what else to say. He didn't want Pj to be controlled by Amanda; he absolutely hated the fact that he was right. But since they had all come to that conclusion, they could move forwards and formulate some sort of plan. Not all was lost. There was still a chance to save her and defeat the shop.

"What is she suggesting or manipulating?" Michael was normally more composed than Nikita, yet his anger was seeping through him. He was ready to rage a one man crusade against Amanda. The bitch had to pay for all the pain and torment she put his daughter through. Commotion from down the hall brought the team from their frustrations. Their kids were running towards them, and so was Missy. Oliver, James, and Max were holding back the dog as best they could, while Felicity provided a buffer between them and the others. Kara reached their parents first, a notebook in hand. She didn't appear satisfied with her discovery. In fact, she was distraught.

"She wants to destroy you. Amanda is using Pj as a weapon against you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. There's been power outages in my area. Wi-fi's going to continue to be spotty for a bit. But luckily I had enough of it to post this.


	32. Chapter 31

"Destroy us how?" Cautiously, Nikita eyed Kara. The rest of the team regathered in the great room, concerned about what was occurring. Max, James, and Oliver still trying to hold back Missy wasn't assuring anyone. The dog wasn't biting them, but she kept trying to escape their grasp and run. Felicity bounced on her toes ready to block any of her paths. Attention had to be pulled away from whatever that circus was, however. Information was dropped that had to be explored. The situation with Pj was exploding. And it had to do with the notebook in Kara's hands, "What is that?"

"Pj's notebook. Jamie saw her writing in it. We went to grab it when she was gone, but Missy was on guard. We figured it out though," That explained the dog in their grasps. However, the looks the kids passed between each other expressed that they didn't want to go into what they had done to get past her. Kara handed over the little book to redirect their parents; naturally, it worked. They flipped through the pages, hoping to understand Pj's thought process. The notes started out comprehensible. They revolved around what had happened while she was Amanda's captive. But it didn't seem as though it had come from her memory. It was written like she was watching it happen to someone else.

"Did she watch the recording?" Michael wasn't sure if he should be angry or appalled. He wanted to accuse Sonya and Birkhoff. The nerds had the flashdrive in their area. If Pj had gotten it, it was because they weren't paying enough attention. Yet he had to admit that his daughter was a spy. She would've gotten her way no matter what. Her need for answers was powerful. She had to know what had happened to her, just like everyone else. Watching herself being torture must've snapped something inside of her, though. Her notes turned from sensible observations to rambles once her viewing was done.

"She was trying to jog her memory. She's drawing conclusions between the facts we already had. Amanda really did tell her about the Shop leaders. And something about Caroline and Gary? I don't know, it's all family related," Nikita didn't want to delve into her daughter's notes past her initial interrogation with Amanda. The factual things were easier to read and sort through. She had some plans on potential missions, attacking key points of the Shop's infrastructure. Most had to do with Amanda's wavering posture and emotions when she was talking to Pj. She had said something that had gotten under her skin. The bitch was cracking.

Not without leaving a bomb for the team, however. Amanda had already taken Owen from them, reverting him back to Sam and controlling him. Of course she had ruined Pj's mind as well. Alex had to grab the notebook from Nikita so they could explore it a little more. She couldn't imagine what Michael and Nikita were going through with their daughter. And she honestly didn't want to. She'd help them as best she could, though. Her own daughter had laid out a heavy assumption. They needed to understand what was happening, "She wrote a little more about Amanda not knowing about the kids. Then it turns into rambling. She wants to blame you and take over, I think. She just seems angry."

"She was staring at the wall of crazy the other day. But she won't talk it out. It's like even she can't make sense of it," James cut in. He shifted his grip on Missy, but she seemed to have been settling down. The dog probably came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to beat her captors. They were afraid to let her go just yet, though. Pj's mindset was more important. Not only couldn't her parents understand it, but her brother and close friend couldn't either. Max didn't get to talk to her as much as James had, except that didn't mean anything. She wouldn't get out of her head. Her notes barely even scratched the surface.

"So Amanda messed with her emotions about the war? Upped her drive and anger until she does something stupid," Sean was still trying to make sense of the brainwashing and mind controlling Amanda was doing. Sam's programming was a bit understandable. However, the replaced people idea they had discussed was far-fetched. No way could mind controlled doppelgangers just be walking around. Someone had to have noticed all the strange behavior. Though, as Cassandra had mentioned, replacing key members in the world with their own agents was a terrifying skill of Division's. No doubt the bitch found some way to utilize it and 'improve' upon it.

The German BND officer was proof enough of that. His strange behavior, his connection to Amanda, and the inconsistencies in his autopsy led the team to seriously believe he was some kind of double. He had to have been planted for Shop purposes. Pj wasn't a double, though. They knew that with certainty. Besides, if her jumble of notes were anything to go by (and they were hoping they could be) Amanda admitted in the footage that the rescue team arrived too soon; she hadn't completely finished what she was doing. Michael held onto the hope that it wasn't all lost like it was a lifeline, "Piper won't have the chance. We know what's going on. And we have her secured in a safe place."

"Okay. So then, do we talk to her? Un-brainwash her. Because she gets pretty angry in that notebook. She really wants to find a way to make Michael and Nikita pay," Attempting to organize their thoughts, Kara wondered. The last page filled in the notebook was where Pj had gone on a rant about her parents before leaving her room. Although Alex wouldn't show it to Nikita and Michael, she nodded in agreement. What were they supposed to do to talk her down from that. Her wild emotions couldn't be rationed with. Could the conditioning or whatever maybe run its course; the team simply had to wait it out. That didn't seem like a solid option from them, however. They couldn't let her continue to suffer. Something had to be done.

"She was trying to fight it. Whatever it was. There were moments of recognition," Nikita glanced at Michael, clinging tightly to that bit of positivity. Pj wasn't totally swept by her emotions and jumbled mind. She was aware that something might have been wrong. Her notes had started off making sense, after all. She was still there underneath Amanda's conditioning. If the team just talked to her, got her to listen and think, maybe it would've been alright. They could stop having family drama, and focus all of their attention on Amanda and the Shop. All that ground they seemed to have lost could be regained.

"Then maybe we should talk to her," Max continued on that train of thought. Pj's lividity wouldn't let her parents talk to her, and it probably extended to the rest of the parents as well. Their best bet of helping her was for her friends to take over. After all, she had been smiley and happy when they had watched the movie together. They could help her past her confusing emotions. Everyone agreed to the idea. Not just because it was sound, but because they needed some kind of thought out plan for how to deal with the situation. Those emotions (whether it be Piper's or the team's) was only going to lead to hurt. Hopefully, they caught it in time before it led to anyone's death.

* * *

Pj's head was killing her. She felt as though she were in a fog. She tried to shake it off, but everything was so confusing and insane. All rational thought ceded to intense emotion. She was pissed- incredibly and confusedly angry. A part of her knew being locked in a room was for the best; she was acting terribly. But she was overwhelmed with lividity about what her parents had done. How dare they just shove her away instead of dealing with the problem. She had more to say- more to fight for. Michael and Nikita couldn't run and hide from their problems anymore. They had to face it head on. Maybe that was what they were doing, talking with the rest of the team to figure everything out. Yet she didn't care. She didn't care about her parents anymore.

Her only focus was getting out of that room. She knew the safehouse better than anyone. Sure, it was Nikita's place first. But there had been an explosion and reconstruction since then. Pj was far more aware of the new rooms and passageways. She was certain she could get out of that room if she tried. Her sling and limp was in the way, but she could soldier past it. Luckily, both gunshot wounds were through and through. Her muscles were strained at best, yet she only needed stitches and stability to heal them. She believed she was healed enough anyway. The sling was ripped off, and she pushed off the wall she was leaning against. There had to be an escape route somewhere.

Wait, why did she have to get out of the room. She was safe inside the walls. And it wasn't as though her parents or her team were going to hurt her. She could sit and fume in peace, until Nikita and Michael returned. Once they did, she could yell at them all she wanted. It was just that anger clouded Pj's mind. She was getting sick of only feeling ferocity. She wanted to feel literally any other emotion. There were times she had, small moments with her friends and her parents that forced her frustrations away. Except, it never lasted long. That only left her angrier. It was like a cruel cycle. No matter what, the hot emotion coursed through her veins. She couldn't remember being so angry that long ago. Something had changed. What had changed.

Blaming Michael and Nikita was easy. For some reason, that was the most solid thought in her head. Everything else was confusing and made no sense. Pj knew Amanda was the enemy. Her control over the Shop and their world had to end. No one person should've been able to do that on their own. They needed a team watching their back and supporting them. She felt as though that support wasn't coming from her parents, however. She thought the two were hindering the mission; they had left, after all. But she had a chance to fix it all. She could end the war once and for all.

Fix what, exactly, was difficult to narrow down. Change the way they were doing things, change how they kept secrets, and change the way they communicated for sure had to be fixed. Yet Pj couldn't do that if she ran away- again. What had that really done the first time. She got new information the team hadn't, made some connections. But she could've done that with them. All going rogue did was ensure they actually talked to one another. So why wouldn't she talk then. Why was she hellbent on making Nikita and Michael pay by escaping that room. Contemplating how complicated it was made her head hurt even more. She just shook it, and refocused on the screaming thought in her mind- she had to escape.


	33. Chapter 32

James was made to volunteer first. He, Kara, Oliver, Max, and Felicity stood transfixed in front of the door leading to Pj. They knew they had to talk to her, get her to come to her real senses not the ones controlled by Amanda. But where were they to start. She had been hiding her thoughts from them. Other than what they had read in the journal they stole, they didn't know what exactly was going on in her head. So, James was pushed forward to try to talk to her first. It'd be better if only one of them approached her; all of them at once would overwhelm her, forcing her to shut down. Besides, out of everyone, she was bound to listen to him the most. She'd be contentious with Max and Oliver, and sarcastic with Kara and Felicity. But he was great at helping her be serious. Somehow, he got through to her when no one else could.

However, when James entered the room Pj was held in for her own good, it was empty- save for a discarded sling on the floor. Immediately, he shut the door behind him. A panic couldn't rise. She couldn't have been gone. She had to be somewhere. If he could find her, then the team wouldn't have to worry. They were stressed enough as it was. Her escaping wouldn't help anyone. Though, there weren't any doors or windows for her to have slipped through. She must've found another way to escape. Glancing up, he discovered what it was.

Of course she had to use an air vent. They had escaped through one at the fighting ring not that long ago. After dragging a chair to the opening, Pj would have no trouble climbing in. She was probably scrambling for an exit right then. James followed her path. The smartest move was to alert the team, despite any alarm that'd flare. But he was tired of sitting around, planning and thinking. They had to act. It was the only way to help Pj. He doubted he would've been able to catch up to her on the roof if he had stopped to inform the others, anyway. She was already peering over the edge, calculating something. He had to pull her back in, "No way to go?"

"Stay out of this, Jamie," She didn't have to turn around to know it was him. In fact, she didn't even react when she heard him climb out of the air vent. It was as though Pj knew James was going to follow her. He was going to take that as a positive. Maybe some part of her wanted to get caught; she didn't want to be doing what she was doing either. And if anyone was going to talk to her, she was glad it was him. She felt calmer around him. There wasn't anger at her parents, or hurt for her brother knowing he had experienced the same things she had. Her head was quiet for once.

"Why? Doesn't this involve me too? I'm hurt and angry too," Voice quieting, James slowly approached Pj. As much as he wanted to snap at all the frustrations around the team, he wouldn't allow himself to succumb to the anger. He couldn't bite and shove like her words had attempted to do. He needed to be calm and collected- show her that they could fight through the pain. She had done it countless times before. She was the strongest person he knew, always bouncing back after a strong blow. Nothing could keep her down for long. No matter what, she always got back up. She had to be able to do it again. Amanda didn't get to take that away.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Pj wouldn't look at him. She let James draw nearer, but her determined green eyes never stopped searching for a way off the roof. God, he desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. Obviously, she felt the need to run away from the team again. But it was more than that; it was more than some twisted conditioning Amanda put her through. Her comment sounded like it came from somewhere real. He knew he was terrible at expressing himself. It was about time he learned to do so. His dad advised that it could be done with a grand gesture. He was fairly certain he had one in mind.

"Well, I may not be biting people's heads off. But I am pissed," Fortunately, James didn't have to lie to enact his plan. He could actually acknowledge his own feelings. That whole war with Amanda and the Shop was beyond maddening. It had gone on too long. It tore their family a part, and took one of their own. Why couldn't it all be over. Shouldn't it have been over by then. Pj's angry thoughts in her journal were making a lot more sense as he let the anger overwhelm him. But at least he was able to pull himself back from the brink. He wasn't falling over the edge into darkness. He knew the blame wasn't on their parents.

It wasn't completely off of them either. Yet, James knew better than to hold onto his anger about that. They could talk it all out, find some sort of understanding. The team- the family- would survive if they all healed together. It was possible Pj was trying to think the same. Confusion marred her bronze features, as though there was a battle raging in her head. The expression only lasted for a second, however. She quickly reverted to her deadset, calculating stare and bitter anger, "They deserve it. Michael and Nikita left."

"I know. My parents left too. Just because they're back now, doesn't mean it stopped hurting. There's a chance they'll leave again and never come back," Instead of defending her parents, he dragged his through the mud as well. Pj finally looked at James. She had expected him to fight her. Yet he understood her. Their parents leaving had hurt. She pushed it aside for ten long years, focusing more on how to get them back than processing the pain. Look where that ended her, though. At least her friend felt the same terror she did. There was a chance they could lose everyone they loved over and over again.

"When'd you learn to share your thoughts?" Pj wasn't sure why sarcasm and acidity flew past her tongue. She was grateful for what James had shared. The sentiment made her not feel as alone in her lividity. Honestly, she was starting to think something was wrong with her. But if he agreed, then maybe she was okay. Everything would work out, and she could be safe and sound with her family. That need to fix it all began to burn brighter within her. If she had a partner, things would be so much easier. They could save the world together, like they always wanted.

"I can be selfish sometimes," James just didn't want to save the world with Pj, though. He wanted to be together with her no matter what. He was there on that roof wasn't he. He was being selfish for her. The others had no idea he had followed her. They probably thought the two of them were simply talking in that room; her thoughts of escape and his consideration of joining her were dangerously unknown. No doubt a massive fallout would ensue once the team realized they were missing. But he was willing to risk it for her. The chance to get his Pj back, not the one influenced by Amanda, was far too great.

"Then be selfish. Let it be all about Jamie for just one second," Missing his absolute devotion to her, Pj attempted to argue. She and James had had that argument before. It felt like a lifetime ago, before the shock of mind control and doubles had overcome them. They were hurting after her first rogue stint. He had hated that she left, and she had hated that he wouldn't admit how much her actions had hurt him. It was a stretch to say they had grown since then. The two were no better at discussing what was on their minds or in their hearts. All that pent up rage in Pj had been easily tapped by Amanda, after all.

There was a long way to go before anything could be fixed. Talking might've been the clearest solution to solve some of their problems. But it wasn't easy. And how far would it go if someone couldn't listen. James decided to simply cease attempting that tactic. Pj was all about action, so why shouldn't he be as well. He matched her tone, forcing her to become riled up and answer some of his questions. She only wanted her family safe, yet wasn't running away and being angry hurting them. She was contradicting herself, "Like how it's all about Pj?"

"I'm ending the war for all of us. No more pain, no more hurt, no more death," The last point threw James for a loop. No one had died. Pj could've been referring to Owen. but just because he was Sam again didn't mean he was dead; he was only lost. Her argument must be driven by the conditioning. The initial motivation to end the war had to still be her. Yet the added pain, that had to be Amanda. What exactly had to bitch told her to brainwash her full of anger and fear. Or did she not have to speak at all. She simply played with her anxieties.

"We end this, and our parents won't leave again. We'll fix our family," James just played along. He fought the confusion and hurt on his face, afraid Pj was going to read him and call his bluff. The way her eyes bore into him was unnerving. She could usually understand his tone and meaning, but there seemed to be some kind of misconnect happening in her brain. She latched onto his word 'fix' and nothing else. It was the word she kept repeating. It was like some sort of trigger for whatever she was supposed to do. She stepped closer to the edge of the roof, and returned to scanning for escape routes. For a moment, he thought he lost her. But she surprised him with an insecure question.

"So, what? You're gonna come with me? Save our family and be pissed together?" Although he didn't like that she didn't believe him, he realized she had no reason to. Running off wasn't like James. Sure, he chased after her on his own the first time. But he was still in contact with the team; he was working with them, just solo. That was different. He was going to step out of his comfort zone. Hesitatingly, he tucked a strand of Pj's wild, dark hair behind her ear. She shot him a startled look that he tried to calm with gentle hazel eyes. He was more than likely assuring himself more than her. Either way, it worked.

"That's the plan. I'm not gonna let you run off alone again," That was the most serious James had ever been. Pj was aware of that, and slowly closed the gap between them. His dedication had her in awe. And it appeared to snap her out of something. For the first time, Piper Mears-Bishop finally saw James Peirce standing in front of her. She flashed a crooked smile he couldn't help but return. The dangers, stupidity, selfishness, and puzzlement of their actions faded away. The two of them decided to run off together. What was more important than that.

"The boy scout's going full rogue? Not just working solo with the team at his back, actually dipping into the black. I'm that worth it?" Pj might have played into her normal sarcasm and quips, yet genuine adoration shone in her gaze. James had kept trying to tell her something earlier. Could that have been it. Could how strongly he felt been the thing he had been dying to share with her. If so, what was a better way to say it than running off on a mission together. Forget their team, forget everything else. It was only them. She had thought she wanted to pursue that crusade alone. But having him as a partner was so much better.

"Always. You're stuck with me forever," His declaration confirmed all of that, even if he had intended to match her sarcasm. His full lips broke into a smirk to match her taunting one. However, it was wiped off in an instant. Pj surged towards James. Her lips were on his without warning. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist. All thought left his mind. He could only focus on the feel of her against him. He hardly noticed when she pulled away. The kiss was seared on his lips and in his mind. His heart was soaring, and his surroundings melted away. He felt as though he was dreaming.

"Help me find a way down."

Pj's command brought James back to Earth, however. She was refocused on her mission, walking around the roof. Though, that time, he was going to be involved. When he was finally able to reorient himself, she didn't appear like the livid robot he caught on the roof; she seemed like herself again. She was all smirks, sarcasm, and drive. And he was so hopelessly wrapped in her spell. Yet, he had to snap out of it. He would help her clear the safehouse, but where were they going after that. They couldn't simply wander the city. She had to have a goal in mind, "Um. Uh. What's your plan after that?"

"Go back to the Shop facility. No doubt they abandoned it. We gotta search for clues," Shrugging, Pj stated as though it was obvious. It kind of was. James was a bit surprised at how thought out and solid the idea was. He had expected more rambling and uncertainty. But her head was clear when it came to planning. Sneaking out of a full safehouse was a spectacular feat, after all. It was just her emotions that were insane. A part of him thought that her kiss wasn't real because of that. She wasn't feeling right. He made himself shake it off. It wouldn't do anyone any good to dwell on that.

"Is there a fire escape?" James wondered. The metal would possibly make a lot of noise, and alert their team to their presence. Yet they could risk it. It wasn't like there were any other options. Pj had scanned the entire side of the building and the building next door. The two could maybe take the air ducts back down, but there was a chance they could get stuck. They needed alternate solutions. Sort of like what he was doing to snap her out of her mind control.

"Starts three floors down. Could jump for it," Pj mused. James almost started to laugh. He had missed that sort of craziness from her. She glanced at him oddly, and he tried to refocus her on finding a rope. It was too late, however. She marched over to him, that lividity resurfacing. They were going rogue, he had to take it seriously. It wasn't some game, where he could lead her on only to call in the team to grab her, "I need you one hundred percent. If you back out, if you leave…"

He kissed her. The affection wasn't meant to shut her up. James simply had to let Pj know of his love. She was already aware of his devotion. But it was his love that was going to bind him to her. He wasn't going to doublecross her, or stab her in the back; he meant it when he said 'forever'. She relaxed into the kiss. She clung to him tightly as he wrapped his arms gently around her. They weren't sure how much time had passed by the time they separated. But when they did, he brushed his nose against hers and breathed, "I told you. Always."

She beamed at him. Her green eyes sparkled in mischief and joy, "Cool. Let's end this."


End file.
